Preview the New Season of WBEZ’s Motive
Small towns. Big walls. A good place to hide things. Stories and scandals from prisons in rural America.

Exposing violence and cover ups, the new season of Motive investigates the hidden world of big prisons in small towns. Places where everyone knows each other and difficult truths get buried.
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Small towns. Big walls. A good place to hide things. Stories and scandals from prisons in rural America.
Men in an Illinois prison said they were beaten in a spot with no security cameras. But no one took action, until someone died.
Two Black women took mental health jobs at one of Illinois’ toughest prisons. What happened when they reported what they saw behind the wall.
State investigators interrogate a high-ranking prison guard, who is accused of coordinating attacks on prisoners.
A man goes into prison with a 7 year sentence. But ends up getting 97 more years. How does that happen? And what do small town politics have to do with it?
Two Illinois prison guards were tried for beating Larry Earvin to death. We try to make sense of the trial and what it says about prisons.
In the 1980s Illinois leaders held a competition, where rural towns competed to “win” prisons and the jobs that come with them.
Prisons helped rural towns, while Black communities in Chicago paid a heavy price. Now, rumors swirl that parts of Pontiac prison may close.
To understand today’s white supremacist movement, look at the last time hate pulled in young Americans. Preview WBEZ’s new season of Motive.
In the 1980s, it seemed organized white supremacy was declining. But a generation of racist skinheads breathed new life into the movement.
It was the ‘80s. Reagan was president. And for angry teens, the punk scene provided a family and expression. Until the Nazis showed up.
The Chicago Area Skinheads were among the first racist skinhead crews to organize in the U.S. How one brutal event brought them down.
Daytime TV discovered neo-Nazi skinheads, and it was a ratings bonanza. But it also helped to grow the hate movement across America.
Christian Picciolini grew a violent hate movement for eight years. After he left, it continued to grow. What’s his role in fixing the harm?
When Brendan Sweeney marched with white supremacists in Charlottesville, he thought he was part of something new. And then he was doxed.
Atomwaffen was the most extreme white supremacist group, pushing for societal collapse. Today, their ideas are on the streets.
Clark Martell led neo-Nazi skinheads. Then, he disappeared. His trail reveals how sex, money and blood have kept the movement alive.
An investigative series that follows a group of young women seeking justice abroad and examines why there was silence for almost a decade.
A student dies on her 21st birthday in Spain. Years later, questions arise after a TV segment airs about someone she was with that night.
Gabrielle Vega alleges her tour guide raped her in 2013. Years later, she learns she’s not the only one. So she does something about it.
A look at the double-standard often applied in cases of sexual assault.
Why is sexual assault still so underreported?
While studying abroad in Spain, two students reported to police and their school they had been sexually assaulted. It didn’t go as expected.
Support Motive and join the producers for a virtual Q&A about the second season of the podcast.
A prosecutor opened a criminal investigation almost two years ago. We go to Spain to see what’s happening.
How “The Wolfpack” verdict in 2016 ignited mass protests in Spain, kicking off the country’s #MeToo movement.
In the final episode, the Motive team looks at everything after an assault, including the emotional toll and the decision to pursue justice.
New from WBEZ Chicago, ‘Motive’ is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times.