UnCuffed Podcast Wins 2025 Grand Award
The incarcerated-led audio program receives top honors at the New York Festival Radio Awards.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Adult Education
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In 2025, the UnCuffed podcast secured the Grand Award at the New York Festival Radio Awards. The program provides training to incarcerated individuals, allowing them to share their stories.
Why it matters
The program empowers incarcerated individuals by providing them with agency and the tools to shape public perspectives through personal storytelling. It focuses on fostering accountability and vulnerability within the media landscape.
The UnCuffed program has received 19 total awards over the last decade. Recently, six students graduated from the program, with two of those individuals subsequently earning parole.
The players
Greg Eskridge
He is the newly appointed Director of UnCuffed who spent three decades incarcerated before his release.
Ninna Gaensler Debs
She serves as a primary instructor who visits San Quentin weekly to provide professional audio training.
Angela Johnston
She is a dedicated trainer who works with incarcerated individuals to help them develop narrative skills.
The details
Participants learn to use Pro Tools software to edit and produce their own audio content under the guidance of instructors who visit facilities like San Quentin weekly. The initiative plans to deepen its commitment to vulnerability and accountability in future media projects.
Timeline
Program participants earned 19 awards between 2016 and 2026.
The UnCuffed program won the Grand Award at the New York Festival in 2025.
Culture Shift
This program reflects a broader societal movement toward recognizing the rehabilitative potential of creative arts and narrative therapy within the justice system. By prioritizing humanizing storytelling over traditional punitive measures, the initiative challenges legacy perceptions of incarcerated populations.
Residents in California may see expanded access to media-based rehabilitation programs as these initiatives grow in success and visibility. The practical skills learned by participants, such as audio editing, also provide potential pathways for future industry employment after release.
The takeaway
The success of UnCuffed illustrates the transformative power of providing incarcerated individuals with technical training and a platform for authentic expression. Prospective programs can implement similar models by focusing on accessible software and consistent mentorship.
Further reading
Learn more about the evolution of Adult Education and its impact on personal development.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sanquentinnews.
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