![]() That includes a few hundred men isolated because they’re considered dangerous or in danger, but it also includes nearly 200 men on Texas’ death row. Like most lockups, life in the roughly 3,000-man prison an hour and a half north of Houston is pretty bleak, especially for the high-security prisoners who spend most of their time in solitary. “You can listen to their clowns,” he said. Michael Starghill for The Marshall ProjectĮvery morning, Hozaifeh plays an episode of “Martin” or “Sanford and Son” - shows that still make sense for listeners who can’t see the action because they’re locked in a cell with no television. The Tank’s programming includes a wide range of offerings, from mid-day announcements to stock tips to religious services to heavy metal shows. But for the radio station, the warden carved out an exception, allowing them to pass along essays and poems for the staff chaplains to deliver to Hozaifeh and his fellow DJs, affording the most isolated men in Texas a rare chance to be part of the prison community. Usually - just like in most lockups - the prisoners at Polunsky are not allowed to write letters to each other. It doesn’t have the fame or following of San Quentin’s “Ear Hustle” podcast, but The Tank allows men on one of the most restrictive death rows in the country to have a voice that reaches beyond their cells. It’s all recorded in a studio hidden deep inside the prison and stocked full of equipment, most of which was donated by churches and religious groups. ![]() But the programming is as plentiful and varied as any commercial station on the outside, with shows covering everything from heavy metal to self-improvement. The Tank is so low wattage you can only hear it for a minute or two after you leave the parking lot.
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