Off the Block

Interesting tales of the California and Los Angeles criminal justice system. You’ll hear from public defenders, bail bonsmen, people who’ve been to jail, and people just trying to get by. All narrated by a soft-spoken guy with a British accent.

Doesn’t matter what podcast system I use-IT DOES NOT PLAY-only shows “Episode Unavailable” pretty lame they advertise non stop and now it doesn’t even play?! Get it together! Should get ZERO stars for not playing 😡

Doing a great job on a world that most Americans are insulated from, giving a voice to folks most Americans don't want to know or hear about. Big shout out to JC Swadic(spelling?) the sound mix was really spot on!

Off the Block stands out. I caught it several times while driving, and sought the other episodes online. Each story is insightful, human and educational. I’ll be honest that I knew very little about the LA jail system before listening, though I know quite a bit about the criminal justice system in general, and I feel much closer to the city I live in for heard these segments. Now, I think about family members traveling to see their loved ones in jail every time Six Flags comes up, I see Skid Row quite differently, and next time I pass through Westmont I’ll wonder how Vernell is doing. Criminal justice reporting often lacks the nuance this series captured, andI particularly appreciated the eye opening piece on mental health. As a long time listener of KCRW, I really appreciated reporting that spoke to me as someone who has many friends who have experienced incarceration. Please produce content like this!