Prison Radio
Mumia and I are both working journalists and were radio reporters before we met. Since that hot day in the summer of 1992, we have been colleagues working the same beat. Investigative journalism is key and building the movement for abolition is critical.

I have a lot of gratitude that I get to do this work with such a brilliant, warm, kind co-worker. Mumia’s voice is perceptive and compelling.

Each time I hear his work I am more committed to finding a path to freedom.

Prison Radio Co-Director Jennifer Beach and I showed up at SCI Huntingdon on July 14th 1992 with microphones, maxed out credit cards and organizing skills.

The Shure SM58 microphone was well worn, and sticky. Resin left over from being taped in place. Heavy and solid it picks up the gravel crunching under our feet. Twenty foot high steel massive doors, boom and echo, as they close. Keys, jangling in rhythm on the belt of a burly guard who walks past. Jennifer Beach and I walk through the massive gates onto death row at SCI Huntingdon.

As I sat down and began to plug it all in, Mumia said, “What have you got, there”. He huffed with slight indignation, “Sony is better, you know. I swore by mine.”

I retorted, “Get yourself out here and try this, you will be begging me to borrow my Marantz. See this 3rd head recording button and the super cardio wireless headset mic. You will love the sound”.

Mumia pulls on the headset mic, up over dreadlocks. A task made far more difficult by the metal handcuffs that are tightly notched so his palms are immobile locked facing each other. His fingers can move, and thank god there was enough chain, loose chain to his waist that his hands were free to go up and over. “Watch the beard” I say.

Between us a thick Plexiglas wall framed on the bottom by an open space like a transom. 12 inches covered in a very fine mesh. Only the air and a few syllables escape. The wireless gear had to be walked around by a guard. For over an hour the grating regular cycle and hum coming out of the air conditioning unit, makes the tape unusable. After a bit I got more comfortable at the table, listening intently, doing pickups, Jennifer got the guard to turn off the air conditioning, which thankfully, got rid of the grating hum. The sound of room tone fills the space, and his booming beautiful voice has more room to shape the metal oxide cassette tapes. Metal cassette tapes because it was July 14th 1992. It was not 1994 when we brought in a Sony digital tape DAT machine to record, and a portable Nagra reel to reel machine. NPR brought the Nagra because all of NPR’s digital DATs were in South Africa covering the election campaign of Nelson Mandela. Then and now, we keep working to get great sound.

Together, after 35 years of survival, work towards freedom, recording thousands of radio essays, and publishing his trilogy Murder Inc, and being the midwife to Beneath the Mountain: An Anti Prison Reader: Mumia and Prison Radio are still looking for the sweet spot in sound.

My current rig in 2024 is my Sound Devices 702 & AKG Phantom Power C-900m, portable, familiar, sweet and reliable, 48.2kHz 24 bit. My trusty Marantz Cassette Recorder PDM-222 Mono, was a backup for a while, but has been mothballed for over two decades. My current backup is my Nikon D750 SLR camera, shooting great video while also grabbing solid back up sound with an internal microphone.

Yesterday during a visit, Mumia brought up again that Sony is better and how his directional mic was so warm.

As soon as he gets out, we will trade camera bags, get some tape and I will set up a digital workstation for the sound he gets.

SCI Mahanoy arial view Republican Herald (c)

Noelle Hanrahan & Mumia Abu-Jamal 9-22-24 SCI Mahanoy

The address of SCI Mahanoy recently changed to

301 Greyline Dr. GPS still says Morea Rd.

I am an investigator, a reporter, a lawyer, and I am surfacing what a whole lot of folks would like to remain hidden. Let me know if you appreciate it. Consider supporting this work.

When We Fight, We Win,

When We Survive, We Win

When We Love, We Win

Noelle Hanrahan, Esq. P.I.

Legal Director, Prison Radio

The Redwood Justice Fund

P.S. If you can take a moment to give, and consider a significant gift, or monthly gift, you would enable the work to continue. Donate Now

PPS. Upcoming events:

Sept 28th @ 7pm EST:

Long Distance Revolutionary Screening and Panel.

Maysles Documentary Center

343 Malcolm X Boulevard

New York, NY, 10027

** panel following film screening