Sound Effect

This show originally aired on October 19, 2019. The theme of this week’s Sound Effect is “Gatekeepers” — stories about people with power over who comes and goes. First, we hear what it’s like for a prison guard to be locked in with the inmates. Next, a story of escape and betrayal in one of the world’s most repressive countries. Then, the chilling words of a man ready to confront his fate — and his complicated journey to execution. Finally, we hear from a woman who once was tasked with helping determine who was approved to resettle from Vietnam to the U.S. PRISON GUARDS Chris Hubert, a longtime guard at the now-defunct McNeil Island Corrections Center , talks about what it was like to hold the keys — and sometimes, be locked in along with the inmates. NORTH KOREA RESCUE It's miraculous that Grace Jo is alive. She owes her life to Seattle-area Pastor John Yoon. And so do hundreds of other North Korean refugees. Yoon was a conductor on the North Korean underground railroad. He helped