What’s new to listen to

Ximena Smith rounds up what podcasts we’re tuning into.

True Justice

Justice advocacy group JustSpeak hooked up with one of Aotearoa’s top narrative podcast companies, Popsock Media, to look deep inside our criminal justice system. Hosted by actor Ana Chaya Scotney and Victoria University criminology honours student Tommy Doran (who has also spent time behind bars when he was a young meth addict), the five-part series takes a look at real stories of people who have been through the prison system and the challenges they faced during – and after – their time inside. By the final episode, you might not be completely on board with JustSpeak’s rosy vision of a

world without prisons or police, but True Justice nevertheless gives a comprehensive rundown of the system’s flaws through the voices of people who’ve lived through it. All episodes available now.

Witnessed: Mystic Mother

Adherents of the Phoenix Goddess Temple in Arizona argued it was a spiritual place that provided healing through sexual touch – but this didn’t stop the police from shutting it down for being an illegal brothel in 2011. This new investigative series by Campside Media and Sony Music

Entertainment tells the story of the Temple’s rise and fall, while also pondering wider themes relating to the limits of religious freedom and contemporary American attitudes towards sex work. The hosts – sisters Leah and Katie Henoch – take an even-handed, thoughtful approach to this fascinating story. If you enjoy a good tale in the guru-gone-wrong genre, then Witnessed: Mystic Mother could be right up your alley. Five of the series’ eight episodes are already available or you can subscribe to The Binge to listen to all episodes now.