The Tank became a reality one week before the pandemic began its toll across the world. The original concept of The Tank was the brain-child of resident Ramy Hozaifeh who at the time had already spent more than 27 years behind bars. Birthed as a concept to promote healthy conversations and programs in the middle of challenging quarantines and anxieties – The Tank took on a life of its own to become as one source stated:
Ramy Hozaifeh recently garnered attention for his radio show. What makes Hozaifeh’s show so unique is that Hozaifeh operates entirely from behind bars. His story highlights the importance of media projects like podcasts and radio stations run from prison.
These projects give voice to disenfranchised populations serving time in the world’s largest prison industrial complex. For many, that can be the difference between days filled with resentment and days filled with camaraderie.
Ronnie K. Stephens [Interrogating Justice]
Today The Tank is a dynamic part of over 100,000 residents lives through the Securus© Tablets provided to every resident. With analytics of over 814,000 views per podcast – 3 Million resident views per quarter – The Tank has become as one man said in a interview at the studio:
One of the most unique and innovative tools for rehabilitation I have seen in a long time…
Alan B. Polunsky [Business man]
The current station is supported by our outside administrator Marcus. Working within the very challenging constraints of correctional policies and guidelines, Marcus has become the intrinsic facet of technical and logistical support of what has now become a tremendous undertaking.
On just the Polunsky Unit alone The Tank employs over 100 residents in its operations. Residents learn real time audio engineering and production skills on the latest equipment. These skills translate to realistic future trades and employment for exiting residents. As one major podcaster put it on his own podcast:
…You don’t understand, these guys are professionals – I don’t know what they are planning, but these guys have jobs when they get out…
Andre Norman [Securus Originals]
In fact, today TDCJ sends residents to the Polunsky Unit so that they can be trained and returned to their own units to create their own content on their own stations.
TDCJ has adopted a plan to install some 98 radio stations in almost all of its facilities.
The Tanks podcasting studio has been replicated on the ladies O’Daniel Unit to provide a woman’s perspective on conversations. Fully functional stations have already been completed on other units as we speak.
What started as just a dream for Ramy – also known as Megamind as his on air personality – The Tank has today become a reality for incredible culture change inside a place called prison and beyond.