Category: Retired

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 whistleblower from New Folsom has lost his life.

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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 corruption are ignored—he takes an even more drastic step.

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988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

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Episode Transcript

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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 Valentino under his wing. The two men have a shared mission–to find justice for Valentino. 

Resources

If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

SAMHSA National Help Line

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline

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Warmline Directory

Episode Transcript

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If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.  

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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 the warden of New Folsom. 

Resources

If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

SAMHSA National Help Line

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline

US Health and Human Services

Warmline Directory

Episode Transcript

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If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.

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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' version of the story, even though he thinks it might not be the truth. Then he gets an opportunity he's dreamed of-- to join an elite unit investigating crimes in the prison.

Resources

If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

SAMHSA National Help Line

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline

US Health and Human Services

Warmline Directory

Episode Transcript

Find more information at our website.

If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.

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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 unwritten rules. It’s a story about who gets hurt when the system that promises to keep us safe is bent on protecting itself. New episodes drop weekly, starting February 6. 

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In God we Lust has moved. You can binge all six episodes ad-free right now by subscribing to Wondery+ in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app: https://wondery.com/links/in-god-we-lust/

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