PODCAST · society
On Our Watch
by KQED
When correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez first stepped behind prison walls, he wasn't just starting a job, he was joining a family. What he didn’t know was that he was now bound by an unwritten code that would ultimately test his loyalty to his oath and his fellow officers. Five years later, Valentino's sudden death would raise questions from the FBI, his family and his mentor in the elite investigative unit where they both worked. This season, join us as we follow in Valentino’s footsteps to uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in California: New Folsom. If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at [email protected].
Episodes
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On Our Watch Presents: We Are Jane Doe Pt 4 - Behind the gates
Reporters Madi Bolanos and Anna Sussman take listeners behind the gates of Chowchilla women’s prison, and share stunning new developments in the story. We Are Jane Doe is a KQED and Snap Judgment co-production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On Our Watch Presents: We Are Jane Doe Pt 3 - What happens in the dark always comes to light
Ali faces down her attacker in court and wins. But will the officers who assaulted her former cellmate and 150 other women see justice? We Are Jane Doe is a KQED and Snap Judgment co-production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On Our Watch Presents: We Are Jane Doe Pt 2 - Operation Breakdown
August 2, 2024 started with a mass search. Officers combed the housing unit for contraband as more than 150 women waited in the hot and crowded dining hall. But things did not go to plan, or did they? We Are Jane Doe is a KQED and Snap Judgment co-production. Learn more about your ad choices.…
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On Our Watch Presents: We Are Jane Doe Pt 1 - Ali’s Story
Aliksandria Prout had only been at the Central California Women’s Facility for a few days when an officer stopped her at a checkpoint. “You have beautiful lips and beautiful eyes,” he said. And that was just the beginning. But what he didn’t realize was, this time he’d picked the wrong girl. We…
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On Our Watch Presents: Blood Will Tell
Sharing a special episode this week from a new podcast called Blood Will Tell. When a birthday party in suburban San Jose turns deadly, 18-year-old identical twins are arrested for suspected murder. One brother spends nearly two years in jail before the truth comes out: authorities locked up the...
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On Our Watch Presents: Dig Season 3 from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting
Today we are sharing the trailer for Season 3 of Dig, from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. Each season, Dig exposes the systems that allow injustice to fester, and shines a light on the people fighting for solutions. Season Three: The GirlsThey were trusted educators and...
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On Our Watch Presents: Suave Season 2 from Futuro Studios
Today we're sharing with you the trailer for Season 2 of Suave, the Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast from Futuro Studios. “Suave” Gonzalez was released from prison after 31 years serving a life sentence without parole. He was one of thousands of juvenile lifers granted a second chance at life.…
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BONUS: “More Work to be Done” | S2: New Folsom
Sukey and Julie have some news and updates about Valentino Rodriguez Sr., Mimy Rodriguez and some of the key players at New Folsom prison. We also share a recent conversation with an attorney who has been involved in the legal fight for disability rights in California state prisons for decades....
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On Our Watch Presents: Hush
Today we’re sharing the first episode of 'Hush,' an investigative podcast from Oregon Public Broadcasting focused on uncovering the buried truth about critical stories in the Pacific Northwest. This series looks at the case of Jesse Lee Johnson, a Black man who lived for 17 years on Oregon’s…
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On Our Watch Presents: The Youth Development Center
Today we’re sharing the first episode of “The Youth Development Center,” a series from New Hampshire Public Radio. This podcast from the creators of "Bear Brook" and “The 13th Step” dives deep into how New Hampshire became the center of one of the largest youth detention abuse scandals in the...
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BONUS: Sukey on NPR’s The Sunday Story | S2: New Folsom
Get a behind-the-scenes peek at the reporting for On Our Watch: New Folsom as Ayesha Rascoe, host of NPR’s The Sunday Story from Up First, speaks with Sukey about the season and the wider context of this kind of journalism. Resources If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to…
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BONUS: Right to Know | S2: New Folsom
On Our Watch was made possible by the passage of a groundbreaking law enforcement sunshine bill in 2018. Today we talk to California State Senator Nancy Skinner, who co-authored the state’s “Right to Know Act," about the legacy of her landmark bill, ongoing obstacles to transparency, and the need...
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BONUS: “The Prison Beat” | S2: New Folsom
Reporting on prisons from the outside is often difficult; it’s a closed and secretive world. But there is also important reporting being done by people who are inside prison, which comes with dangers of its own. Sukey and Julie sit down with two formerly incarcerated journalists, Rahsaan Thomas…
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BONUS: The Whistleblower Playbook | S2: New Folsom
Sukey sits down with Mary Inman and Poppy Alexander, two whistleblower attorneys who talk about the cost of speaking up, and unpack the playbook that employers use to keep people quiet. They also discuss a shift in thinking that can protect both whistleblowers and their organizations. Mental…
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8. Last Stand | S2: New Folsom
After his son’s death, Valentino Rodriguez Sr. waited for the warden of New Folsom prison to call him. That call never came. In our season finale, we walk through the gates of New Folsom to ask the warden for answers. We also get a rare glimpse inside the world of correctional officer discipline...
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7. “We Don’t Do Coincidence” | S2: New Folsom
We get to listen in on confidential interviews conducted by Sgt. Kevin Steele before his death. Plus, we finally get to see surveillance footage from inside the B8 unit that sheds new light on the murder of Luis Giovanny Aguilar. Editor’s note: After this episode first aired on April 2, 2024…
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6. The Day Room | S2: New Folsom
The team digs deep into the homicide of Luis Giovanny Aguilar—the murder in the day room that Officer Valentino Rodriguez was tasked to write a report about, and that had consumed Sgt. Kevin Steele up until the last day of his life. We track down each of the men who took part in the stabbing to...
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5. End of Watch | S2: New Folsom
Valentino Rodriguez Sr. is on the treadmill one morning when he gets a call—Sgt. Kevin Steele is dead. Val Sr. has lost not only his friend, but his partner in their shared quest to find the truth. A meeting with the FBI provides few answers, even as new questions arise about why a second...
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4. "Foul Play" | S2: New Folsom
How did Sgt. Kevin Steele go from being a true believer in the institution of New Folsom to writing an explosive memo hoping to tear it down? We sift through video evidence, interrogation tapes and internal reports to find glimpses of his transformation. But when he feels his reports of…
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3. Superhero | S2: New Folsom
Valentino’s unexpected death just days after a confidential meeting with the prison’s warden leaves his grieving father with a tangle of questions and suspicions. When law enforcement and prison leadership fail to act, Val Sr. finds an ally in Sgt. Kevin Steele, a senior officer who’d taken...
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2. Running the Race | S2: New Folsom
Consumed with stress and fed up with how he’s being treated, Valentino Rodriguez reaches a breaking point at work. A veteran officer and mentor to Valentino starts looking into the murder that happened in the dayroom. Valentino and Mimy get married, then Valentino goes in for a final meeting with...
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1. Welcome to the Family | S2: New Folsom
Soon after correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez starts working at New Folsom prison, he gets caught up in a bad incident. An incarcerated man ends up in the hospital with horrific injuries, and the prison starts an investigation. Valentino feels pressured to back up his fellow officers'…
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Introducing Season 2: New Folsom
We’re back with a second season of On Our Watch from KQED! “New Folsom” traces the footsteps of two whistleblowers in an elite investigative unit in California’s most dangerous prison. Host Sukey Lewis and co-reporter Julie Small piece together a gripping narrative about broken promises and...
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Update: Oscar Grant and the Attorney General
Less than six weeks after On Our Watch published an episode examining the shooting and death of Oscar Grant, California's Attorney General Rob Bonta opened an external investigation into the 12-year-old case. In a wide-ranging interview with On Our Watch's Sukey Lewis, Bonta talks about...
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Under Color of Law
One of the first police shootings to be captured on cell phone, millions saw Bay Area Rapid Transit police Officer Johannes Mehserle fire a single, fatal gunshot into Oscar Grant's back as the 22-year-old lay face down on the train station platform. Now, a lawsuit filed by NPR member station KQED...
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The Brady Rule
Fellow officers long suspected a veteran detective in Antioch, Calif., was leaking operational police secrets to a drug dealer. For years, the department didn't act on their concerns. Even after the detective was finally fired in 2017, his record remained secret. In episode six of On Our Watch we...
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Neglect of Duty
An officer is repeatedly disciplined for not turning in his police reports on time. A mom goes to the police asking for help with her missing daughters. In the fifth episode of On Our Watch, we look at what can happen when police don't follow through on reports of victimization, and an...
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Perceived Threat
A 16-year-old Black kid walks into a gas station in Stockton, Calif. to buy gummy worms for his little sister. When the teen gets in an argument with the clerk over a damaged dollar bill, a white officer in plainclothes decides to intervene — with force. In the fourth episode of On Our Watch, we...
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20-20 Hindsight
After his son is shot and killed by a Richmond, Calif. police officer, a father looking for answers becomes a police transparency advocate. When the files about his son's death are released, they show an accountability system that seems to hang on one question: did the officer fear for their…
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Conduct Unbecoming
One officer in Los Angeles used car inspections to hit on women. In the San Francisco Bay Area, another woman says an officer used police resources to harass and stalk her. The California Highway Patrol quietly fired both of them for sexual harassment, but never looked into whether their…
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In Good Faith
In the small Northern California town of Rio Vista, a woman named Katheryn Jenks calls 911 for help. But after the police arrive, she ends up injured and inside a jail cell, facing serious charges. That same day, California Governor Jerry Brown signs a new law, State Senate Bill 1421, that opens…
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Introducing On Our Watch from NPR and KQED
What happens to police officers who use excessive force, tamper with evidence or sexually harass someone? In California, internal affairs investigations were kept secret from the public — until a recent transparency law unsealed thousands of files. On Our Watch is a limited-run podcast from NPR…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
When correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez first stepped behind prison walls, he wasn't just starting a job, he was joining a family. What he didn’t know was that he was now bound by an unwritten code that would ultimately test his loyalty to his oath and his fellow officers. Five years later, Valentino's sudden death would raise questions from the FBI, his family and his mentor in the elite investigative unit where they both worked. This season, join us as we follow in Valentino’s footsteps to uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in California: New Folsom.
If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at [email protected].
HOSTED BY
KQED
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does On Our Watch have?
On Our Watch currently has 32 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is On Our Watch about?
When correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez first stepped behind prison walls, he wasn't just starting a job, he was joining a family. What he didn’t know was that he was now bound by an unwritten code that would ultimately test his loyalty to his oath and his fellow officers. Five years later,...
How often does On Our Watch release new episodes?
On Our Watch has 32 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to On Our Watch?
You can listen to On Our Watch on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts On Our Watch?
On Our Watch is created and hosted by KQED.
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