A new Futuro Media podcast, “Suave,” tells the story of one person’s journey to freedom after receiving a life sentence without parole at the age of 17. David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez met journalist Maria Hinojosa in 1993 during a talk at the prison in Pennsylvania where he was serving a sentence for first-degree homicide. For years, Gonzalez and Hinojosa stayed in touch through letters, visits and phone calls that Hinojosa recorded. The seven-part podcast series chronicles Gonzalez’s experience as he is eventually given the opportunity to experience life on the outside for the first time, after the 2016 Supreme Court ruling that mandatory sentences of life without parole on juveniles are unconstitutional. “It was an experience that left me traumatized to this day,” Gonzalez says of his time in prison.

DN also speaks with Maria Hinojosa, who credits the success of the podcast to their open and honest relationship. “Suave and I were just very real with each other, over decades,” she says.

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Amy Goodman David Luis Gonzalez Democracy Now! Free Speech TV Futuro Media Maria Jinojosa Media Podcast Prison Suave