The Hustler Files with Lisa Reilly - Stories That Challenge What You Thought You Knew
One in three Americans is justice-impacted, and at The Hustler Files, we’re here to change the conversation. This isn’t just a podcast, it’s storytelling with grit, hope, and purpose. Each episode amplifies voices closest to the system: justice-impacted individuals, reformers, changemakers, and the guardians behind the wall who offer healing and opportunity. These are stories of truth, perspective, and possibility. Some involve real crime and real consequences, but we tell them with care, intention, and respect. Because there’s always a voice that can challenge what you thought you knew.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 27 minutes
- Episodes
- 126
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
GIVING A VOICE TO THE SILENCED
With over two decades of experience, reporter Katie Johnston shares her journey from reporting on arts and entertainment to focusing on work and income inequality, specifically with incarcerated and …
AN UNINTENDED LIFE
To be in the wrong place at the wrong time cost William Allen 28 years behind bars for an unintended crime. William shares his tumultuous journey from his early days of family dysfunction, the guilt …
TWO TRASH BAGS, $647 & NOWHERE TO GO
In this powerful episode Miguel Vazquez engages in a heartfelt conversation about his journey from the streets of Brooklyn to an 18-year prison sentence. His story is nothing short of transformative.…
EMPLOY, TEACH, ACT & HELP
At Baker Industries, an organization dedicated to providing fair chance hiring for marginalized communities in Eastern Pennsylvania, their mission is centered around four simple but powerful words. E…
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IF YOU'RE JUST FINDING OUR PODCAST, THE HUSTLER FILES, WELCOME! WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU LISTEN IN! THIS IS OUR THIRD SEASON AND WE'VE GOT OVER 100 EPISODES, SO FAR, FOR YOU TO CHOOSE FROM. W…
THIS CALL IS BEING RECORDED, SAN QUENTIN PART 1
In March of 2023, Governor Newsom of California announced that the infamous San Quentin State Prison would have its name changed to the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Since the mid-1800s San Que…
THIS CALL IS BEING RECORDED, SAN QUENTIN PART 2
Every incarcerated person knows the exact date and time of their parole hearing, even if it’s years in the future. For Chan Park, his first parole hearing took place after 13 years, 8 months of incar…
A BRIDGE TO RACIAL JUSTICE
Some prison reform advocacy organizations call their mission, pillars. Some, key initiatives, and in the case of the advocacy organization, The Sentencing Project, are strategic priorities. But at Th…
HONOR, SACRIFICE & ANSWERING THE CALL
Gabrielle Perry was one of the lucky ones. Her birth mother was incarcerated when giving birth to Gabrielle. She engaged the aid of a friend who found a family to adopt Gabrielle, site unseen. Her pa…
REMAINING TRUE TO HER VALUES
There are a little over 3,000 Sheriffs’ in the United States. Of that number only 60 are women. Sheriff Donna Buckley of Barnstable County, Massachusetts,(also better known as Cape Cod) is the first …
PHONE HOME
In the movie E.T., the alien builds a way to communicate with his planet. Inside the jails and prisons in the US, communication between an incarcerated individual and their family and friends, was fo…
A CHAMPION AMONGST COMPANIES
According to the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice or, in short, RBIJ, everyone is entitled to respect, equality, fairness, and dignity under the law. It is this mission that drives Maha J…
IT REQUIRES COURAGE TO TRANSFORM
The title of this episode is aptly named for guest Aron Roy. Like many justice-impacted individuals, Aron's journey means digging down deep to find the grit to transform and not return to their past…
THE DEATH PENALTY CAN BE WEEDY
As Joe Biden started winding down his Presidency, and Donald Trump started accelerating his, Joe Biden took advantage, like all Presidents, to commute 37 men sitting on death row. These commutations…
TRUST THE PROCESS OF YOUR PATH
Throughout this 2nd full season, one of the go-to themes has been to chat with various Sheriffs about their jails and the communities they have watch over. In case you’re not aware, there are approxi…
TAKE UP ONE IDEA, MAKE THAT ONE IDEA YOUR LIFE
In April of 2023, Episode #11, we first chatted with Economist and Author Jeff Korzenik. His book, Untapped Talent, had been recently released, and we were excited to hear about how a well-known, Nat…
WE DO CRAZY
In Episode 89 we became acquainted with Sheriff Karl Leonard of Chesterfield County, Virginia. We circled back with the Sheriff to meet his Behavioral and Mental Health Division Director, Kerri Rhod…
BELIEVING THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE BEHIND BARS
You have to love a person who has spent 43 years in a career and when asked ‘When are you retiring’ their response is, ‘When I don’t have anything else to learn’. Sheriff Karl Leonard of Chesterfield…
FEAR HAS NO END DATE
Sadly domestic violence is a 365-day-a-year issue, but the more survivors step forward, ask for help, and share their stories, the more aware society becomes of this ongoing epidemic. Liz Dineen, CE…
EARN & LEARN APPRENTICESHIP AT CATALYST
Over the last couple of decades, tech companies and tech-minded entrepreneurs have been developing various ways to assist incarcerated and justice-involved individuals with job training both behind t…