The Secret Life of Prisons

Ep2: What do crime victims want?

A special series of podcasts recorded live in association with the University of Liverpool’s Making Space for Radical Imagination project.

Academics from the University of Liverpool ran a series of Challenge Labs, taking views from across society about crime and justice. The Labs included people working within the criminal justice system, people who have been convicted of crimes and been through the system, people who have experienced criminal harm and wider members of society who have an interest in the impact of criminal harm and how to reduce it. They challenged participants to reimagine a justice system that would deliver their expectations and make society safer and better for everyone. Then asked them what was getting in the way. 

In this series of podcasts the guests on our panel discuss some of the findings from those workshops.

Guests:

Marc Conway - Director of Fair Justice, a consultancy which supports change in the criminal justice system. CEO of UNGRIPP, which campaigns for the rights of people who have received IPP sentences.

Dr. Dominique Walker - Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Justice at Liverpool John Moores University, and the Chair of the Anthony Walker Foundation, a charity that aims to combat racism and hate crime which was set up in memory of Dominique's brother who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 2006.

Aaliyah Calland - Probation Officer in the north-west of England with experience of working with people serving a wide variety of sentences, including people who are on licence after being released from prison.

Emma Stuart - Head of Rehabilitative Services at the Forward Trust, a charity that helps people leave crime behind and also supports those recovering from addiction. Emma was previously a prison governor and has extensive experience in academia and the charity sector.

Presenter: Faye Dunn

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Nathan Moore

Live sound engineers: Joshua Lorenz and Lucy Harper

With thanks to Dr. Ruth Armstrong, Professor Shadd Maruna, and Dr. Laura Naeglar who led the project

The Making Space for Radical Imagination Project was funded by UK Research and Innovation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep1: Can prisoners (and prisons) change?

A special series of podcasts recorded live in association with the University of Liverpool’s Making Space for Radical Imagination project.

Academics from the University of Liverpool ran a series of Challenge Labs, taking views from across society about crime and justice. The Labs included people working within the criminal justice system, people who have been convicted of crimes and been through the system, people who have experienced criminal harm and wider members of society who have an interest in the impact of criminal harm and how to reduce it. They challenged participants to reimagine a justice system that would deliver their expectations and make society safer and better for everyone. Then asked them what was getting in the way. 

In this series of podcasts the guests on our panel discuss some of the findings from those workshops.

Guests:

Marc Conway - Director of Fair Justice, a consultancy which supports change in the criminal justice system. CEO of UNGRIPP, which campaigns for the rights of people who have received IPP sentences.

Dr. Dominique Walker - Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Justice at Liverpool John Moores University, and the Chair of the Anthony Walker Foundation, a charity that aims to combat racism and hate crime which was set up in memory of Dominique's brother who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 2006.

Aaliyah Calland - Probation Officer in the north-west of England with experience of working with people serving a wide variety of sentences, including people who are on licence after being released from prison.

Emma Stuart - Head of Rehabilitative Services at the Forward Trust, a charity that helps people leave crime behind and also supports those recovering from addiction. Emma was previously a prison governor and has extensive experience in academia and the charity sector.

Presenter: Faye Dunn

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Nathan Moore

Live sound engineers: Joshua Lorenz and Lucy Harper

With thanks to Dr. Ruth Armstrong, Professor Shadd Maruna, and Dr. Laura Naeglar who led the project

The Making Space for Radical Imagination Project was funded by UK Research and Innovation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Sentencing Act 2026 receives royal assent, Phil and Paula take to the stage at Conway Hall in London as part of the Clinks annual conference 2026.

Lord James Timpson was Chief Executive of Timpsons, where he pioneered the employment, at scale, of people who have been through the criminal justice system. He was Chair of the Prison Reform Trust before joining government in 2024 as Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending.

Anne Fox is the outgoing Chief Executive of Clinks, the charity that represents voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire 

Paula Harriott 

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Westteaches philosophy in prisons. His father and brother spent time behind bars and he wrote a memoir, The Life Inside, about his career in prisons which we featured in an episode back in May 2025. That book has now been adapted for a BBC1 series, Waiting For The Out, which starts in the new year.

Ric Rentonspent time in three prisons in the north-east of England, including HMP Durham. He is now a writer and actor and was part of the writers room for Waiting For The Out, as well as playing a character in the drama.

You can catch Waiting For The Out on BBC iPlayerhere.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every year the radio industry gathers for the Radio Festival in London. The event, run by a wonderful organisation called the Radio Academy, brings together radio professionals from across the country to see the finest broadcasting talent talking about what's happening at the cutting edge of our industry.

This year's event was entitled World Of Sound, showcasing the UK as a global leader.

Phil was privileged to be asked to host a session, and as a special Christmas offering we can now bring that talk to you: Phil Maguire in conversation with none other than Louis Theroux, himself no stranger to producing award-winning media in prisons.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2006, Phil Maguire OBE left his job at the BBC to work in prisons. He joined a small group of committed, inspirational people to found a charity, the Prison Radio Association, which went on to transform how we communicate in prisons and set up the world's first national radio station for people in prison.

Phil is Chief Executive of the charity. Today, Phil has some news which he wants to share with each and every listener to The Secret Life of Prisons.

Phil's Instagram

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatrice Autywas released from prison last year and has since become a Longford Scholar, pursuing her academic interest in criminology. Before prison, Beatrice visited death row in the US and dreamt of becoming a human rights lawyer. Beatrice's case and trial attracted a good deal of media attention, and since release Beatrice has appeared in the media to talk about her experiences in prison.

Charlie Moloney is a media law commentator and trainer who has recently been named the new editor of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists – the standard text that accredited journalists follow in their training. He is a veteran of reporting on court proceedings.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Audio Production Awards take place every year to honour the very best in radio and podcast production in the UK. They're run by Audio UK, which represents audio producers, and are competed for by the very best in the production and broadcast industries. And this year, The Secret Life of Prisons won GOLD in the Sport category for our episode about the HMP Brixton Half Marathon! So this week we wanted to give you another opportunity to hear that award-winning episode. Enjoy...!

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Two days before the 2025 London Marathon, a very special half marathon took place behind the walls of HMP Brixton in aid of the Prison Reform Trust. And The Secret Life of Prisons was granted exclusive access to bring you the sounds of a momentous morning.

Nine of HMP Brixton's residents undertook a 16-week training programme, supported by members of the local running community, and on Friday 25 April they ran alongside around 40 visitors in a feat of endurance and stamina. The result was a beautiful example of the power of sport to change lives.

The voices you will hear in this podcast include:

Tara Benedetti

Pia Sinha

Mia Wheeler

Sean Fletcher

Marianne Garvey

Jamie Loyn

Sarah Taylor

Abbey Darling

Alan Higgins

Hermen Dange

Martin Jones

Dr. Dave Maguire

Eleanor Carmichael

Adam Harris

Andrew Wilkie

Faye Dunn

Our thanks to the staff at HMP Brixton, particularly Governor Wheeler, Deputy Governor Merrifield their physical education team, and also the team at the Prison Reform Trust led by Pia Sinha and Tara Benedetti for making this event, and this podcast, possible.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you would like to support the Prison Radio Association, visitprison.radio/biggiveand your donation will be doubled!

Faye Dunn and Toni Garrigos first met each other while serving sentences in HMP Styal. Faye is now the Assistant Producer of this podcast, while Toni is employed in sales. Check out their story.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drug Recovery Wings are specialist units in prisons that work to help people dealing with addictions as part of their prison sentences.

Ash is no stranger to imprisonment and has lived with addiction since he was a child. But a remarkable encounter transformed his life. He now works for Better Way Recovery, a charity based in Litchfield near Birmingham, as an Integrated Offender Manager Link Worker - and as part of his role he works with people battling addiction inside HMP Featherstone in Staffordshire.

Wayne Hickman is a substance misuse officer who runs the Drug Recovery Wing in HMP Featherstone, and through his passion for change and genuine compassion for those living on the wing he runs, the unit at Featherstone has been nationally recognised as the best in the country.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Longford Lecture is a centrepiece event of the criminal justice sector's year. Run by the Longford Trust, a charity that provides opportunities for study and mentoring for people in prison and detention, it takes place at Church House in Westminster.

This year's lecture was a call for the abolition of the imprisonment of children, given by the Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel De Souza, who talked about the shocking links between children who have spent time in care and the justice system.

Also on the podcast, Angus Stobie, who plays George Grundy in The Archers, and Jeremy Howe, the series Editor. The BBC Radio 4 drama has been running for 75 years and this year received the Kevin Packenham Prize to acknowledge its portrayal of George's brush with the law and his imprisonment.

You can find out more information about the Longford Trust here.

And you can listen to The Archers here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Aitchisonhas been photographing prisons for more than 20 years. He selects five of his favourite photographs of prisons and talks to us about what we can learn from prisons by keeping our eyes open.

Andy's new book is called Incarcerated and will be released soon.

You can follow Andy on Instagram here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the summer of 2023, 17 year-old Charlie Cosser went to an organised house party in a small village in West Sussex and never came home. A fight broke out on the dance floor and Charlie was stabbed. He died later in hospital.

As he was lying on his hospital bed, Charlie's father Martin Cossermade a promise to Charlie that he would spend the rest of his life educating young people about the dangers and immeasurable impacts of knife crime. He founded the charity Charlie's Promise, and his work in the last two years has led him to talk to more than 50,000 people in a variety of settings, including prisons.

This episode ideals with the grief and pain of a family who have experienced an unimaginable loss. It is a difficult and emotional listen. If you are unsure about whether this programme is for you, you may wish to skip this episode and go back into the archive to listen to some of our other programmes.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah was released from prison after spending 16 years behind bars as part of a life sentence. She was released to an approved premises two hours away from her friends and family. She had no ID, no bank account, no job, and the world had completely changed in those 16 years. She received support from Paula and her charity Unlock before and after release.

This is Sarah's story.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Watkins, the disgraced former front man of the rock band Lostprophets, died in HMP Wakefield on Saturday 11 October. Two men have been charged with his murder. Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence for crimes that were so shocking, the judge in his trial said the case 'broke new ground' and 'plunged into new depths of depravity'.

HMP Wakefield is a category A prison that holds people convicted of some of the most serious offences and serving extremely long sentences, including people whose infamy. So how do we deal with people imprisoned for these sorts of incomprehensible offences that, some believe, should attract the death penalty? What's it like to manage such an institution? And how does it feel to be working or serving a sentence in a prison when someone dies in these circumstances?

Tom Wheatley was Governor of HMP Wakefield from 2018 until last year, having been running maximum-security prisons for almost 20 years. He is now the President of the Prison Governors Association. He joins Phil and Paula to answer these questions and to help us understand what sort of a community exists behind the walls of our maximum security prisons.

There were 7 homicides in prisons in the 12 months to June 2025, an increase from no homicides in the previous 12 months. Deaths in custody have increased to 401 in the 12 months to June 2025, from 208 in the previous 12 months. You can dig into the data here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WhenLaurafound herself in HMP Eastwood Park serving the latest of a string of prison terms, something magical happened when she met Isie Potter, a music teacher who had recently become Musician Residence at the prison.

In this emotional episode, they tell the extraordinary story of how Laura's life was transformed thanks to Isie's approach to her role for the charity Changing Tunes.

You can donate to Changing Tuneshere.

And you can read the latest report from HM Inspector of Prisons about HMP Eastwood Park here, and the previous report here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shahid Amin was serving a long sentence in HMP Grendon when he began studying criminology. This came after teenage years in which being engaged with the police and the criminal justice system overshadowed any early experiences with education. He has continued his further education and become an academic researcher after he was released from prison.

Dr. Ruth Armstrong is a Postdoctorate Research Associate in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Liverpool. She has worked in criminal justice both in the UK and globally for over 20 years, and founded the Learning Together programme in which students from inside prison and outside prison studied in equal partnership.

Our thanks to Dr. Ed Schreeche-Powell at the rest of the team at the University of Greenwich for making this recording possible.

You can find out more about studying criminology at the University of Greenwich here.

You can read about We Are All Criminals here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One month into Frank Stedman'sprison sentence, he lost his brother to suicide. Unable to attend the funeral, the prison put Frank into segregation because he was considered to be an escape risk. He spent 10 days on the block before being moved to a category A prison, HMP Belmarsh.

Fast forward several years, Frank has completed his sentence and runs his own business. But he retains a desire to help others who are in prison to get through what can be the most difficult of times. He also loves National Prison Radio. And so when Frank contacted us out of the blue to ask if he'd be able to walk 200 miles in 10 days to raise money for the Prison Radio Association, we were delighted to support his incredible efforts.

This is the story of Frank's walk, and of a man who retains an astonishingly positive outlook in spite of everything. It's an uplifting story of joy and optimism.

To donate to Frank's Walk, visit Frank's Just Giving page.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We love receiving your questions, thoughts and comments. Email us atpodcasts@prison.radio.

In this final episode before we take a summer break, we answer questions from listeners inside prison and listeners on the outside.

David Breakspear is a peer mentor, advocate and ambassador for people who have been to prison. He spent time behind bars between 1985 and 2017, and uses his lived experience to support organisations including ADHD Liberty, 5asideCHESS and the National Suicide Prevention Alliance.

Dr. Ruth Armstrong isa criminologist at the University of Liverpool and a consultant working to support change in government departments and third sector organisations. She’s worked in criminal justice both in the UK and globally for over 20 years, including playing a leading role in Prison Radio International, supporting the development of prison radio projects around the world. 

Organisations, books and links referred to in this programme include:

Unlock

Howard League for Penal Reform

Prison Reform Trust

Philip Pettit on trust

Trusting the Untrustworthy

PACT

PSI 75/2011 (Residential Services)

Purposeful Prisons

We Are All Criminals

Fuck It

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2014, probation services in England and Wales underwent the most radical shake-up for generations in a part-privatisation process known as Transforming Rehabilitation.

Seven years later, in 2021, these reforms were reversed as the public and private arms of probation were brought back together under a newly-constituted public Probation Service.

In June 2024 a group of people with a wealth of experience of probation gathered for a one-day workshop at Liverpool John Moores University as part of the Rehabilitating Probationproject. The workshop aimed to envision what probation services might look like in the future. 

Phil and Paula spoke to several workshop participants, including people who had worked in, studied and been supervised by probation. We released this episode on 15 July 2024.

This was followed up by a second episode on 5 August 2024 with Professor Nicola Carr, then of the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham, and Dr. Matthew Millings from the School of Justice Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. They have played a leading role in the project and reflected on the workshops.

In this final episode, we catch up with Nicola and Matthew, along with Martin Jones CBE, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation, to hear about the outcome of the Rehabilitating Probation project and to reflect on where we are one year after the election of a new government.

Rehabilitating Probation

This is the final of three episodes looking at the future of probation. Rehabilitating Probation was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Batchelor is an educator, musician, film-maker and producer. He spent a time behind bars where he became a presenter for National Prison Radio. Jimmy has continued to work with the Prison Radio Association in the many years since his release, and he’s been leading a series of workshops in prisons over the past few weeks as part of National Prison Radio’s contribution to Windrush Day. 

Colin McFarlane is an actor, voice artist and campaigner. He's the star of films including Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, as well as countless animations and TV series. Together with the singer Annie Lennox, he founded the Justice4Windrush campaign which aims to inform the British public about the on-going Windrush scandal and provide free legal support to people who have a legitimate claim for compensation.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tamar spent a short period of time in HMP Holloway, a women's prison in North London, in 2016. Months later, the prison was closed for good. The buildings became derelict. Several years later, Tamar was one of a group of six women who had all spent time in Holloway to go back into the prison with film-makers to take part in a remarkable documentary called Holloway,

Daisy-May Hudsonis one of the co-directors of Holloway. She began her film-making career when she decided to start filming her family's experience of homelessness. She is also the writer and director of the acclaimed film Lollipop, which premiered at last year's Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Find screenings of Holloway and buy tickets here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer (and deputy presenter!):Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zak Addae-Kodua is one half of Zak and Jules, the presenting team behind the award-winning Life After Prison podcast. He has experienced several stints out on licence and explains why it's not always as straightforward to keep to your licence conditions as you might imagine.

Cecilia Goodwin is the founder and Managing Director of Goodwin and Rose Solicitors. She has extensive experience of representing and working with people who are on probation having been released from prison.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten years ago, David Kendall decided to put on an entire festival of arts and literature inside HMP Lewes. This was the birth of Penned Up, a unique annual event which is now in its tenth year, and which has found a home in HMP Erlestoke in Wiltshire.

Today we learn about how on Earth you go about organising a festival in a prison, and some of the guests who have taken part over the years, including Nick Cave, Tony Adams, Billy Bragg, Garry Younge, Courttia Newland, Max Porter, Dr Rache Clarke, John Niven, and even National Prison Radio's Lady Unchained.

Alongside David is Jailhouse Moose, a blogger who first met David while serving a sentence in HMP Liverpool. He went on to be on the organising committee after he'd been transferred to HMP Erlestoke. He now writes about prison.

Find out more about Penned Up here.

You can read Jailhouse Moose here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the day David Gauke, the former Justice Secretary, publishes his long-awaited Independent Sentencing Review, we get analysis from the journalist David Shipley who served a sentence for fraud in 2020-2021 and now broadcasts for several publications, including The Spectator.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nigel Bromage was a prominent member of several far-right groups, including British Movement and Combat 18, for 20 years. During that time, he was close to events that could easily have led him to prison. He became disillusioned with the life in the late 1990s and began a long and dangerous process of moving away from the far-right. He now runs an organisation called Exit Hate, which aims to support people who want to leave the far-right.

Find out more about Exit Hate here.

Graham Finochiospent almost 20 years in prison in California, having joined a white supremacist group at the age of 14. While in prison he encountered a rehabilitation programme called Success Stories which is based on feminism. Graham is now a Transformational Coach for Success Stories, having renounced his former allegiances.

Find out more about Success Stories here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cherie Blair KC became a barrister in 1976 and went on to be a county court and crown court judge. In 2024 she was appointed to the Leadership Board of the charity Women in Prison, where she has stressed the importance of supporting women and girls before they come into contact with the criminal justice system.

Kate Morrisseyis on the Women’s Justice Partnership Delivery Group which supports the Women’s Justice Board. She’s Head of Health and Justice for the East of England region for NHS England, and at the weekends she serves on the frontline with an ambulance service. Kate was remanded to prison as a young adult where she began to address drug problems that she'd experienced since she was a teenager and embarked on volunteering work which eventually led her to the positions she holds today.

You can read about the role of the Women's Justice Board here.

You can watch Kate Morrissey's extraordinary TEDx Talk here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy West is the author of The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Learning to be Free, which is currently being adapted into a BBC television drama. Andy has been teaching philosophy in prisons since 2016.

You can buy Andy's book while supporting local independent bookshops here.

Ray Smith writes for Inside Time, the monthly newspaper for people in prison, and was a member of Andy's philosophy group during a six-month spell he spent in HMP Pentonville.

You can read Ray's thoughts about being invited on this podcast in the latest edition of Inside Time.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire –Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott –Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two days before the 2025 London Marathon, a very special half marathon took place behind the walls of HMP Brixton in aid of the Prison Reform Trust. And The Secret Life of Prisons was granted exclusive access to bring you the sounds of a momentous morning.

Nine of HMP Brixton's residents undertook a 16-week training programme, supported by members of the local running community, and on Friday 25 April they ran alongside around 40 visitors in a feat of endurance and stamina. The result was a beautiful example of the power of sport to change lives.

The voices you will hear in this podcast include:

Tara Benedetti

Pia Sinha

Mia Wheeler

Sean Fletcher

Marianne Garvey

Jamie Loyn

Sarah Taylor

Abbey Darling

Alan Higgins

Hermen Dange

Martin Jones

Dr. Dave Maguire

Eleanor Carmichael

Adam Harris

Andrew Wilkie

Faye Dunn

Our thanks to the staff at HMP Brixton, particularly Governor Wheeler, Deputy Governor Merrifield their physical education team, and also the team at the Prison Reform Trust led by Pia Sinha and Tara Benedetti for making this event, and this podcast, possible.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We love to hear your thoughts, your views and your questions. To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

In this week's episode we answer questions from listeners inside and outside prison.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott –Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we've got two guests who, for very different reasons, have spent time in a lot of different prisons. We asked them to compare notes and tell us their best stories.

Duewaine Marshalleck-Baker was released from prison for the final time in 2016, having spent more than eighteen years in prison on and off. He now works for National Prison Radio as one of the presenters of our Takeover Days - visiting prisons across the country for a very different reason. Find out what happened when he visited his old cell in HMP The Mount.

Arthur Hagues is Head of Content Innovation for the Prison Radio Association, and the lead producer of National Prison Radio's Takeover Days. He's visited dozens of prisons in his career with the Prison Radio Association.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire –Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott –Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Tchaikovskywas a founder of the charity Women in Prison, the charity that campaigns on behalf of women in the criminal justice system. She died in 2002, having lived an extraordinary life. Today's episode marks the end of Women's History Month and is dedicated to her life and her legacy.

Kate Fraser spent 17 years in heroin addiction, engaged in street sex work, and spending spells on remand in prison. She went on to work for the charity NACRO, and then applied for a job with Women in Prison, where she first came across the name Chris Tchaikovsky. She is now Head of Practice for Women in Prison.

Deborah Coles is the Executive Director of Inquest, the only charity providing expertise on state-related deaths and their investigations. Deborah knew Chris, having met her during her days at the University of Essex.

You can read Women in Prison's new strategy document, Together in Power 2025-2030, here.

You can buy Criminal Women, the book written by Chris Tchaikovsky with Pat Carlen and others, here.

You can find out more information about the work of Inquest here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Lewis served a prison sentence for receiving a corrupt payment. Shortly after his release, during the pandemic, he applied for a voluntary role directing cars at a Covid vaccination centre and his application was rejected, apparently because of his criminal record. He is now an ambassador for the FairChecks campaign.

Penelope Gibbs is the Director of Transform Justice, a charity that aims to create a fair, open, compassionate justice system. They are one of the leaders of the FairChecks campaign.

You can find more information about the FairChecks campaign and sign up as a supporter here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Mo went to prison hundreds of miles from home, his older sister would visit him but he didn't see his mum in person until he was more than two years into his sentence, and his youngest sister didn't come to visit him at all. He went five years without seeing her. How did he and his family come to these decisions, and what was it like reconnecting after all this time?

Faye Dunn went to prison as the mum of two young children, and she had a difficult decision to make about whether to expose them to the prison environment. How did she approach parenting from behind bars, and what are things like now?

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alice Dawnay founded the charity Switchback in 2008, which supports young Londoners to find a way out of the justice system. She's now part of the team that's just launched the Common Ground Justice Project, which is an initiative to find the common ground in the sometimes polarised debate around crime and justice.

Kam was helped by Switchback when he was being released from prison. He had committed an offence, but he had also been the victim of a very serious offence, losing a loved-one to knife crime. He is now part of the advisory panel for the Common Ground Justice Project.

You can find out more about the Common Ground Justice Project here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2013, Khamran Uddinwrote a letter to the man he had violently assaulted in a random attack on a deserted railway platform. The victim was coming home from work as he did every day when Khamran seriously injured him with a baseball bat. What followed was an extraordinary meeting which changed both their lives.

Keeva Baxter is the Campaigns and Communications Manager for Why me? They're a charity that aim to advocate for the greater availability of Restorative Justice to victims and those who have committed crimes, and to improve public understanding of this radical approach to addressing harm.

You can find out more about the work of Why me? here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Gauke is the former Conservative Member of Parliament for South West Hertfordshire, the former Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, and the Chair of the Labour government's Independent Sentencing Review.

Phil and Paula ask him about the progress of the report, delve into the politics of crime and justice, and finish with challenge around the use of the terms 'offender' and 'ex-offender' which elicits a fascinating response.

You can read part one of the report here.

You can read David's New Statesman article from October 2024 here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richie Makepeace was just trying to keep his head down and get through his prison sentence in HMP Brixton when he was offered a job in the prison's radio production training workshop. Like many people in prison, he was really worried about whether he would be able to find employment. But after release he got offered a job helping to deliver National Prison Radio's Outside In traineeship, and is now part of the Prison Radio Association's staff team working to train others who have recently been released from prison themselves.

Nancy Prentice is the Prison Radio Association's Head of Talent Development. Her job is to spot people inside prison who might benefit from continued training in radio production after release. She oversees the Outside In traineeship and the podcast that showcases the work of the trainees.

You can listen and subscribe to the Outside In podcast here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spice, a name for a group of synthetic drugs that have gripped prisons over the past decade, are said by researchers at Middlesex University's Drug and Alcohol Research Centre to have played a role in almost half of all non-natural deaths in prisons over a five year period.

Michael Kennedy had already used spice on one occasion before he went to prison. For him it was a way of self-medicating for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). But in prison he was fully in its grip. During a music technology class in HMP Stoke Heath he wrote a song imploring people to avoid spice. He's now clean, and is a volunteer for the Forward Trust, who support people to break the cycles of addiction and crime.

You can listen to Michael's track Mamba Attack here.

Ian Vandersluys is Head of Safety at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, having worked for almost three decades in prisons. He describes some of the shocking scenes that have accompanied the rise of synthetic drugs, the impact it has on staff and prisoners, and some of the ways prisons tackle the epidemic.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer:Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scout Tzofiya Bolton is a poet, activist, radio producer and the author of The Mad Art of Doing Time. She went to prison in 2023 where she received excellent care for the mental health conditions that led to her offence.

You can read Scout's recent article for The Guardian here.

You can listen to Scout's documentary for BBC Radio 4, entitled The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag.

Scout's latest book, The Mad Art of Doing Time, is available from Broken Sleep Books.

Michelle Walsh is a key worker at the Merseyside Women's Team for the Together Women project. She supports women with diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health conditions after release from prison and advocates on their behalf.

You can find out more about the work of Together Women here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Owen KC is a criminal barrister who has sat as a Deputy High Court Judge. He is a co-host of Double Jeopardy: The Law and Politics Podcast. 

You can find the sentencing guidelines for all offences heard in the Magistrates and Crown Courts on the Sentencing Council website.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mickey Dehara is a screenwriter who has frequently collaborated with the director Guy Richie, including playing a starring role in the film Snatch. He served a prison sentence in the early 2010s when he got involved with National Prison Radio and won the Sandford St. Martin and Jerusalem Awards for a dramatisation of the Good Friday story which he wrote and starred in. On release from prison he set up Films4Life which aimed to change people's lives through the medium of film-making.

Max Porter is the award-winning author of several novels, including Grief Is A Thing With Feathers which is currently being adapted into a film starring Benedict Cumberbatch. He delvers storytelling workshops in palliative care settings, prisons and war zones. He has recently returned from Palestine where he worked with people caught up in the conflict, and he is the Writer in Residence at HMP Erlestoke.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamie Bennett is is the author of a new book which looks at the challenges of managing prisons. He is Prison Contracts Group Director at His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service. He has been Governor of Morton Hall, Long Lartin, Grendon and Spring Hill prisons.

Andrew Morris served a sentence in HMP Spring Hill while Jamie was the Governor there. After release, he founded the New Wave Trust which aims to provide mentorships for young black men. He's a Trustee at the Howard League for Penal Reform and for the Raphael Rowe Foundation. He's also worked as an assessment officer at the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

Read more: Managing Prisons: Managerialism, Austerity and Moral Blindness by Jamie Bennett

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In November 2024, Janey Starling from the charity Level Up, called out the presenter of LBC's breakfast show Nick Ferrari live on air for his apparent ignorance of the facts around the imprisonment of women.

In response to that interview, we invited friend of the podcast Dr. Kimmett Edgar to the studio to help us understand what the numbers can tell us about prisons and the people who live in them.

Kimmett is a former Senior Research Officer at the Oxford Centre for Criminological Research and was Head of Research at the Prison Reform Trust.

After finishing this podcast, why not listen to Paula's appearance on BBC Radio 4's Feedback?

Some data sources from this programme: 

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greg Eskridge was released from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in California, formerly known as San Quentin state prison, on 23 July 2024 after serving 30 years and 25 days.

In prison Greg became a founding member of the Uncuffed radio program and podcast, a project run by the public radio station KALW.

Greg now works full-time as Uncuffed’s first Leadership Fellow, preparing him for leadership roles in the project. 

Eli Wirtschafter is the Program Director for Uncuffed and got to know Greg through his work behind the walls of San Quentin. He trains people in California prisons how to produce radio and podcasts, developing professional broadcasting skills and creating shows.

Listen to the Uncuffed podcast.

The Secret Life of Prisons wishes you a very happy Christmas. We'll be back in the new year with weekly shows dropping every Monday.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In November the Sentencing Academy, a charity that aims to improve public understanding of sentencing in England and Wales, released a piece of research entitled 'Who is in prison and what is the purpose of imprisonment?'.

It concluded that most people know very little about prisons.

To test these findings, Phil and Paula went to stand outside the Central Criminal Court in London, better known as the Old Bailey, to ask Londoners about their views on crime, prisons and the people who live in them.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Moore was exposed to the most dangerous situations imaginable during a seven-year period in which she disappeared from her family's life. She wanted to protect them from the effects of her chaotic lifestyle and mental ill-health, both of which she struggled to manage. 

She is now a criminal justice practitioner working at Anawim, a Women's Centre in Birmingham.

Sonya Ruparel is the Chief Executive of Women in Prison, a charity that supports women affected by the criminal justice system and campaigns to end the harms associated with the imprisonment of women.

You can submit evidence to the Independent Sentencing Reivew here.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

This week we are participating in The Big Give, a national fundraising campaign. 

So in this week's show, we wanted to introduce you to five people who went to prison and now all have careers in broadcasting, thanks to their work with the Prison Radio Association.

Ali Ali is National Prison Radio's breakfast show host and the winner of a silver award at the 2024 ARIAS in the Best New Voice category.

Jules Rowan is one of the multi award-winning hosts of Life After Prison, our podcast for people who have been released from prison.

Nico Constantinou was in prison this time last year, where he learned about radio production. After he was released he took part in our Outside In traineeship and is now working at BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Garth St Clair is the founder of Rise Maximum Radio, which broadcasts from Arouca Maximum Security Prison near Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobage.

The Fantastic Faye Dunn was in Styal prison near Manchester in November 2022 when she was approached by the National Prison Radio team to take part in a programme. Since then she's worked incredibly hard to develop her skills and has impressed the team so much that she now works full-time for the charity on a range of shows, including being the Assistant Producer of this podcast!

If you donate to us before Tuesday 10 December, your donation will be doubled! To make a donation, go to prison.radio/biggive.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean Henry received multiple prison terms through his early adult life. But receiving a long sentence for a serious offence when his son was just two months old, Sean discovered a different perspective on his own life and the way he had been acting.

With precious support from key people in his life, including his son's mother and their extended family, Sean gradually but decisively made the changes that have transformed his future. His son is now an adult and Sean is able to reflect on why things turned out for him the way they did. 

Sean now works for Sussex Prisoners Families, as well as working with young people who are at risk of following the path Sean followed.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday 11 November 2024, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe delivered the annual Longford Lecture at Church House in Westminster. 

Nazanin was imprisoned in 2016 at the end of a family visit to Iran, accused of plotting to overthrow the government by running courses in journalism that the Iranian regime said aimed to train people to spread propaganda against Iran.

She vehemently denied these charges but remained in prison until 2022.

In this year's emotional Longford Lecture, she tells us what she learnt from the experience and explains her passion for penal reform.

For more information about the Longford Trust, visit www.longfordtrust.org 

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tyler Voase was released from prison in the summer of 2024. 

He first went into jail in 2022 weighing over 40 stone, and with the support of a well-thought-through and timely intervention from gym staff he reinvented himself, losing 18 stone while in HMP Feltham.

Samy Ali is a Physical Education Instructor (PEI) at HMP Feltham, and he was the member of staff who knocked on Tyler's cell door one day to offer him a job working in the gym. 

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Torbitt is a writer and broadcaster. A period of homelessness as a young man led to involvement in crime, for which he received a sentence. These experiences fed a political awakening and a career working with the Labour Party.

Matthew now writes and tours television studios commentating on politics. He joins us down the line from Washington DC.

Ben Zaranko is a Senior Research Economist for the Institute for Fiscal Studies. He is about to start work on a major research project using new data from the Ministry of Justice to assess the economic impacts of the justice system. 

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dwaine Patterson spent 22 years in prison. For seven of those years he was one of a handful of people detained in Close Supervision Centres (CSCs).

CSCs are prisons within prisons, housing those people said to be the most dangerous and disruptive in the entire prison system.

In this remarkable interview, Dwaine describes what it was like to be deemed so dangerous that seven prison officers in riot gear plus a dog handler were required just to unlock his door.

Claire Salama is a solicitor who specialises in the law around imprisonment. She works for the Howard League for Penal Reform and has represented several people who have been housed in CSCs and other segregation units.

You can contact the Howard League's legal advice line here.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Shipley served a prison sentence for fraud. He had never known anyone who had come into contact with the criminal justice system prior to his conviction. His sentence was eye-opening for him. He became 'radicalised' by the experience and promised himself he would do everything he could after release to talk as widely as possible about the reality of imprisonment.

He now writes a regular column in The Spectator magazine and appears widely on TV, radio and in the press.

Danny Shaw was a Home Affairs Correspondent for BBC News, covering crime and justice stories, for more than 30 years. He later became a senior political advisor to Yvette Cooper, the then shadow Home Secretary, ahead of the general election. He’s now a freelance journalist with bylines in the Daily Telegraph, the Times, the Guardian and the New Statesman to name just a few.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Madu was released from prison in 2021 after serving twelve years in prison. He remains 'on licence' and must report to his probation officer regularly as part of his continuing sentence.

However, Simon is also a member of staff at His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, as the Engagement Lead for a pioneering project called Engaging People on Probation (EPOP). As such, his probation officer is also a colleague in the probation service.

Simon's role is to support 'peer mentors' – people who have experience of the justice system who volunteer to offer support and guidance to others who are coming out of prison.

Danielle Bond is the Peer Mentor Coordinator for EPOP.

Simon and Danielle explain the positive role peer mentors can play in the life of people released from prison. Peer mentors are all people who have been to prison or been subject to probation supervision. They are on the front line of efforts to help people avoid committing further offences after release from prison.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2004, Paula was imprisoned for eight years for a drugs offence. 

Twenty years later, she is the trailblazing Chief Executive of a prominent national charity, being cited multiple times for her pioneering work in the criminal justice sector by none other than the Minister of State for Justice, and noted by The Times of London as an 'intutitive broadcaster'.

In today's emotional episode, Paula fills in the space over those two decades to describe the enormous challenges that come with being released from prison, and what she's learnt from the events that have led to her becoming a leading light in the campaign for a better justice system.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool was built in 1846 and was the first structure in Britain to be constructed from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result, it was the first non-combustible warehouse system in the world.

It was also the venue for the 2024 Labour Party Conference, and Phil and Paula took the opportunity to return to Liverpool to listen to James Timpson, a newly-appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Justice, for the first time since his appointment.

Journalist and conference veteran Paul Mason explains what the Labour Party Conference is all about, while our fantastic Assistant Producer Faye Dunn gives her view on her very first conference, coming just two months after her release from prison.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2021 Tony was told by a nurse in HMP Ford that she suspected he had cancer.

Over the following years, Tony has experienced frustration and fear but also received heart-warming empathy and kindness from the staff at the Fernhurst Centre at St. Richards Hospital, Chichester, and in particular from Marion Misselbrook, a Macmillan Information and Support Worker who was invited by the Governor of HMP Ford to offer support to prisoners undergoing cancer treatment.

In this very special edition of The Secret Life of Prisons, we reunite Tony and Marion to hear their emotional and at times shocking account of cancer care in prison.

What can we learn from Tony and Marion’s remarkable relationship and trust that can improve outcomes for people in prison?

We also hear from Professor Jo Armes, a researcher from the University of Surrey who contributed to a study entitled Improving Cancer Care in Prisons which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

You can download the report Improving Cancer Care in Prisons here.

The research findings have also been adapted by the Synergy Theatre Project into a film, Cancer Cells, which you can watch here.

If you are caring for someone who is receiving cancer treatment, you can find out about support you may be entitled to, as well as lots of other resources here.

To make a donation to Macmillan Cancer Support visit donation.macmillan.org.uk.

Our thanks to the staff and volunteers of The Fernhurst Centre at St. Richards Hospital, Chichester for hosting our recording.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Jones and Steve Girling are the hosts of Hold or Fold, a brand-new podcast from the Prison Radio Association that supports people who suffer from gambling addiction.

Ben and Steve both went to prison for offences linked to their gambling. After release, both men realised that there were gaps in screening for gambling addiction in prison and in the provision of services for recovery. They worked with the Prison Radio Association to start Hold or Fold as a programme on National Prison Radio. Thanks to funding from GambleAware, that programme continues to broadcast on the radio into prison cells and it's now available to listeners on the outside as a brand-new podcast.

Steve co-founded and runs Reframe Coaching, which offers support and guidance for those affected by problem gambling.

Ben has started a recovery service in Nottingham called TimeOut, which is part of the charity Double Impact.

If you're affected by gambling harms, there are a number of organisations who can help. Here are links to just a few:

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What role does food play in the daily lives of women in prison?

Libby is the Head Chef at The Edge at Joey Orr’s, an award-winning restaurant in Liverpool. She spent time in Styal and New Hall prisons, where she had contrasting experiences of the culture around food behind bars.

You can visit The Edge at Joey Orr’s by booking a table here.

Dr. Erin Power is a Lecturer in Criminology at Liverpool John Moores University. Previously, she was a Research Fellow at the University of Surrey on a 2-year research project entitled Doing Porridge: Understanding women’s experiences of food in prison.

You can read more about Doing Porridge here.

You can order the Beyond Porridge recipe book mentioned in the podcast here.

An animation has been produced from project’s findings Here

An art exhibition from the project in partnership with Koestler Arts is entitled ‘On my Plate’

The research project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and this episode was funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration fund at the University of Surrey.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phil and Paula are outside HMP Liverpool, aka Walton Jail, to talk to passers-by about what they think of prisons and the people inside them.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

--

On Wednesday 22 November 2023, Rory Stewart delivered the annual Longford Lecture at Church House in Westminster. 

Rory's lecture was entitled, Rhetoric vs Reality: My Journey as Prisons Minister. It addressed why politics is ill-equipped to deal with the crisis in prisons, and what we might be able to do to change this.

For more information about the Longford Trust, visit www.longfordtrust.org 

This episode was originally released on this feed in December 2023

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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How to survive a life sentence

We're back in the studio with two people who have been to prison and are now outside living with a 'life licence', to talk about 'hooks for change' and the what happens as the reality of being a 'lifer' dawns on you.

They join Phil and Paula in the studio, along with criminologists Serena Wright and Ben Crewe.

Serena is a researcher and Lecturer in Criminology in the Department of Law and Criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. Her research on prisons and penology has focused on short-term sentences and post-release ‘frustrated desistance’ among women, and the experience of long-term incarceration among life-sentenced prisoners.

Ben is Deputy Director of the Prisons Research Centre at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge. He is interested in all aspects of prison life, including prison management, staff-prisoner relationships, public and private sector imprisonment, penal power and prisoner social life.

Further reading:

Experiencing long-term imprisonment from young adulthood (Wright, Crewe, Hulley): Ministry of Justice

Life Imprisonment from Young Adulthood (Wright, Crewe, Hulley): Palgrave Macmillan

This episode was originally released on this feed in November 2021

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

--

What is it like to receive a life sentence?

We're joined by two people who have had this experience - both have been to prison and are now outside living with a 'life licence'.

They join Phil and Paula in the studio, along with criminologists Serena Wright and Susie Hulley.

Serena is a researcher and Lecturer in Criminology in the Department of Law and Criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. Her research on prisons and penology has focused on short-term sentences and post-release ‘frustrated desistance’ among women, and the experience of long-term incarceration among life-sentenced prisoners.

Susie is a Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge. She is interested in how young people are affected by the criminal justice system, particularly their experiences of criminalisation and imprisonment. Her recent work focuses on the application of ‘joint enterprise’ by criminal justice practitioners (including lawyers and the police) and the impact of this legal doctrine on young people.

Further reading:

Experiencing long-term imprisonment from young adulthood (Wright, Crewe, Hulley): Ministry of Justice

Life Imprisonment from Young Adulthood (Wright, Crewe, Hulley): Palgrave Macmillan

This episode was originally released on this feed in November 2021

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

--

In June 2024 a group of people with a wealth of experience of probation gathered for a one-day workshop at Liverpool John Moore's University as part of the Rehabilitating Probation project. The workshop aimed to envision what probation services might look like in the future. 

Phil and Paula spoke to several workshop participants, including people who had worked in, studied and been supervised by probation.

In this week's episode we hear those conversations, followed by reflections from two academics who have played a leading role in the project: Dr. Matthew Millings from the School of Justice Studies at Liverpool John Moores University; and Professor Nicola Carr from the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham

Rehabilitating Probation

This is the second of three episodes looking at the future of probation. A third will be released later in the year.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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What can we make of the most recent announcements on prison policy? And what are we likely to see from a Starmer government over the longer term?

Lord Ken Macdonald KC was Director of Public Prosecutions immedately before Sir Keir Starmer took up that position. Since then he's been a practicing criminal defence barrister and been involved in the development of criminal justice policy, especially in relation to terrorism and national security. He is currently Chair of the Orwell Foundation and President of the Howard League for Penal Reform.

He is also a co-host of Double Jeopardy - the law and politics podcast.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We need your help! Please visit www.prison.radio/survey to tell us about yourself and what you want to hear on The Secret Life of Prisons. Thank you.

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Duewaine Marshalleck-Baker spent many years in prison, and during those sentences he witnessed and perpetrated violence. During his last sentence he worked on National Prison Radio and we're proud to call him a friend of the Prison Radio Association.

Conroy Harris is the Chief Executive of A Band Of Brothers, a charity that was born out of concern at the escalation of self-destructive behaviour among young men, which looks to find solutions to the sort of violence that takes place on prison wings.

https://abandofbrothers.org.uk

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We need your help! Please visit www.prison.radio/survey to tell us about yourself and what you want to hear on The Secret Life of Prisons. Thank you.

--

Caroline was released from prison with low hopes for the future. Then she met a probation officer from a surprising background and with her support she built a successful life for herself. Caroline is now a co-researcher on a research project being run by Liverpool John Moores University and the Universities of Nottingham, Sheffield and Southampton looking at the future of probation services.

Professor Lawrence Burke (Lol Burke) is a Professor in Criminal Justice at Liverpool John Moores University and previously worked as a probation practitioner.

A further two episodes will be released later in the year.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We need your help! Please visit www.prison.radio/survey to tell us about yourself and what you want to hear on The Secret Life of Prisons. Thank you.

--

Andrew Malkinson spent 17 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. In this very special episode he tells us about his time in prison, and how others serving sentences reacted when he told them he was innocent.

Emily Bolton is Andrew's solicitor and the founder of Appeal, a charity that challenges wrongful convictions and campaigns for a fairer justice system

www.appeal.org.uk 

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

--

In general election week, the Secret Life of Prisons finishes our series of guests who have knowledge and insight about the role criminal justice plays in politics as the major players fight for our votes.

We've asked this week's guest to ask the organisations who work closest to prisons what they'd like to see from our next government.

Anne Fox is Chief Executive of Clinks, which represents hundreds of charities and voluntary sector organisations that work with people in prison and their families. She has worked in the voluntary sector in the Republic of Ireland and in the UK since 1999. She joined Clinks in 2015.

www.clinks.org 

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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James Phillips was in prison in 2014 when he first heard National Prison Radio's Rock Show. He decided he was going to become its next host, and managed to get a transfer to the prison where the show was based.

Fast forward 10 years, he had been released from prison, joined the Prison Radio Association's staff team, and his show had become the most inventive, innovative, riotous music show on any radio station, anywhere. He won Gold for Best New Presenter at the ARIAS – the Radio Academy Awards, which are the radio industry's 'Oscars'.

Last year James received a diagnosis of terminal cancer. 

In true Rock Show spirit, James took his listeners, the Rock Show Family, on the journey with him. That journey came to an end in May 2024.

To remember James, and to introduce the uninitiated to the joys of National Prison Radio’s Rock Show, and the magic that James would create using nothing but sound and the spirit of rock music, Phil and Paula are joined by Ollie Brookes (the producer of the Rock Show) and Scout Tsofiya Bolton (a paid-up member of the Rock Show Family while she was in prison).

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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As we approach the next general election, the Secret Life of Prisons is bringing you guests who have knowledge and insight about the role criminal justice plays in politics as the major players fight for our votes.

We've asked this week's guest to come up with five pieces of advice for the next government to improve our justice system.

Andi Brierley is an author and educator. He was the editor of last year's book, The Good Prison Officer. He spent several years in prison as a young person, serving time for offences fuelled by a drug addiction. Today he teaches at Leeds Trinity University and he trains prison officers through the Unlocked Graduates programme.

Find out more about Unlocked Graduates here.

The Good Prison Officer

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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If you have been to prison you are fourty times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population. 

Michael Sloane spent three decades in and out of prison, addiction and homelessness. He was once given a tent to live in on release from prison. He now studies politics at Ruskin College in Oxford.

Matt Gannon is from the Centre for Homelessness Impact, a charity that uses data to understand the factors that lead to homelessness and improve the lives of those who are most at risk.

Find out more about The Centre for Homelessness Impact

You can read the report Prison Discharge and Homelessness here.

You can read The Ballad of Rochester Jail by M A Sloane here. 

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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As we approach the next general election, the Secret Life of Prisons is bringing you guests who have knowledge and insight into politics and the role criminal justice is likely to play as the major players fight for our votes.

We're asking each guest to identify five things we should all be looking out for as the political campaigning ramps up.

Dominic Grieve was the MP for Beaconsfield. He was Shadow Justice Secretary in the years before the 2010 general election, and was appointed Attorney General under David Cameron. 

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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Despite having lots of time to spare during a sentence, people in prison face very many barriers to pursuing education, and particularly further education. Some people manage to overcome these barriers, and the Longford Trust is a key source of support.

In 2011 Chris Walters was arrested in Taiwan for a drugs offence. After seven years on bail, Chris received a prison sentence and was flown to the UK to serve out his sentence. His remarkable story brought him into contact with the Longford Trust. He now works on their fundraising team, and he's completing a law degree at the University of Edinburgh. 

Peter Stanford is the Director of the Longford Trust, who provide grants and mentorships to people in prison and after release to pursue higher education.

https://www.longfordtrust.org

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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In the March 2024 budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said the government will seek to "prioritise proposals that deliver annual savings within five years". What does this mean for prisons and the criminal justice system, having to deal with rising numbers and facing increasingly complex challenges?

Grace Blakeley is a journalist and author. She previously sat on the Labour Party’s National Policy Forum which is responsible for policy development. Before that she worked for the Institute for Public Policy Research.

Grace Blakeley's new book Vulture Capitalism is available here.

Vicky Pryce was a civil service economist and is now Chief Economic Advisor for the Centre for Economics and Business Research. She’s a visiting professor at Birmingham City University and at King’s College London. Vicky served a prison sentence in 2013, where she saw first-hand how the prison system works, and she is now a Trustee of the charity Women in Prison and also Patron of the charity Working Chance, which is the UK’s only employment charity solely for women with convictions.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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In the months leading up to the next general election, the Secret Life of Prisons will be bringing you an occasional series featuring guests who have knowledge and insight into politics and the role criminal justice is likely to play as the major players fight for our votes.

We will be asking each guest to identify five things we should all be looking out for as the political campaigning ramps up.

Louisa James is our first guest. A political journalist and a member of the Westminster lobby, she is the Political Correspondent for ITV's Good Morning Britain.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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On Tuesday 7 May 2024 National Prison Radio, the world's first national radio station for people in prison, won an incredible SIX awards at the Radio Academy ARIAS, the 'Oscars' of the radio industry.

Phil and Paula take us into the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, to hang with the National Prison Radio team and soak up the atmosphere.

Ali Ali won Bronze for Best New Presenter. He's the host of Porridge, National Prison Radio's breakfast show. 

Lady Unchained is a poet, speaker, mentor and the host of Free Flow, the National Prison Radio show 'where we play the beat twice so you can get your bars right'. 

Marianne Garvey is the Managing Editor of National Prison Radio.

Arthur Hagues is Head of Content Innovation at the Prison Radio Association and producer of some of that award-winning content.

Listen to A Proposal For Resisting Darkness – a drama produced in partnership with Clean Break Theatre Company and nominee for Best Drama.

Full list of National Prison Radio winners:

Bronze for Takeover Tuesdays in the Best New Radio Show category Bronze for Life After Prison in the Grassroots category Bronze for Ali Ali in Best New Presenter Silver for National Prison Radio’s Rock Show in the Best Music Entertainment Show category Silver for Zak and Jules in the Best Speech Presenter category Gold for Lady Unchained and her Free Flow show in Best Specialist Music.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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Under David Cameron's austerity government between 2010 and 2015, the number of prison officers in England and Wales fell by more than a quarter. Many experienced officers took voluntary redundancy. In the years since, the prison service has been recruiting new officers to fill the gaps – often young and inexperienced.

Gen Glaister was one of those recruits, joining the prison service in 2016, aged 23. She says it was an incredibly rewarding job and a privilege to do, but she left after less than two years. She's written a memoir of her time in the prison service called The Prison Officer: The Inside Story of Life Behind Bars. She is determined to change the public's approach to people in prison, and to get the UK excited about justice reform.

Nathan Parker is a mentor and trainer of prison officers, through his work with the Rees Foundation. He was 19 when he was sent to prison for four years, around the same time Gen was working the landings. He was fully aware of how young many of the prison officers were.

The Prison Officer by Gen Glaister is available to order here.

Find out more about the Rees Foundation.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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Charlie Taylor is His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons. His role is to report back to the government on conditions in prisons across England and Wales. While his team encounters many serious problems in prisons on their travels (see our recent episode 'Urgent Notification'), they also see examples of prisons whose culture creates calmness and postiive engagement.

These prisons tend to have lower levels of violence and are safer, more humane environments. 

What can we learn from these prisons?

HM Inspectorate of Prisons has recently published a report, 'Improving Behaviour in Prisons', asking this very question.

Marc Conway contributed to the report. He is a criminal justice consultant through his organisation Fair Justice. He spent many years in and out of prison, encountering the very good and the very bad along the way. He was released for the final time in 2018.

Read the report by HM Chief Inspector of prisons here.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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People in prison are more likely to encounter a bereavement than the wider population, and are more likely to have experienced a catalogue of loss. Prison chaplains are ususally the people who break the news of a death.

What is it like to experience loss in prison?

Why is it so important for prison staff to confirm the accuracy of the news?

What risks can these traumatic events pose to prison security?

How do prison chaplains handle the repeated trauma of passing on this news?

The Rev Phil Chadder was Senior Chaplain at HMP Brixton for many years, and estimates he's broken this sort of news many hundreds of times. He now trains new prison chaplains in how to break the news of a death to a prisoner, teaching how to handle this incredibly difficult and sensitive situation.

Richie spent many years in prison, including a spell in HMP Brixton where he got to know Phil Chadder. During his time in prison he lost two close relatives.

Read Prison Service Instruction 05/2016: Faith and Pastoral Care for Prisoners.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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In January 2024 the Chair of the Bar Council, Sam Townend KC, issued a warning about the plummeting number of guilty pleas being entered at defendants' first court appearances. Phil and Paula zoom in on this crucial moment in the judicial process to understand why this trend could be catastrophic for a justice system already struggling to cope.

Sarah Magill is a criminal defence barrister from Lincoln House Chambers, who talks about what's happening on the ground in courtrooms across the country.

Louis was released from prison in 2023 after serving a sentence for drugs offences. He describes how he pleaded and why it then took a year for the matter to be settled.

Watch Sam Townend KC's address at Lincoln's Inn here.

Read about Sarah Magill's work here.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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Last week we heard the story of Hilary, who grew up in the UK and has a British wife and children. After receiving a prison sentence, he almost got deported to Nigeria, a country with which he barely has any connections. 

Sophie was in the reverse position. Born in the UK but growing up in the US from the age of 6, she had no other links with her birth country. Imprisoned for 12 months, she found herself on a flight to Heathrow with two Homeland Security Agents.

Sophie's story is emotional, but like Hilary's, it also has a happy ending.

Chris Stacey is Chief Executive of Prisoners Abroad, the charity that helped Sophie and helps thousands of British nationals and their families each year.

www.prisonersabroad.org.uk

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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Hilary Ineomo-Marcus was days away from release from HMP Brixton in 2014 when he found out that he wasn't going home. His immigration status was being questioned and he was being considered for deportation.

Hilary had moved to the UK from Nigeria as a child with his family. He had gone to primary school, secondary school and university in the UK. He had returned to Nigeria once in his whole life. He had married a British woman and had British children. 

He committed a fraud for which he served a severe punishment in prison.

But from 2014 he spent 10 years and tens of thousands of pounds fighting a legal battle with the Home Office to prevent his deportation to a country with which he had no ties.

Hilary is a Trustee of the Prison Radio Association, and in this episode he describes his experience and ... finally ... is able to tell us about the happy ending to his story.

Miranda Sawyer is a journalist and broadcaster. She is the radio and podcast critic for the Observer newspaper. She has known Hilary for most of his time fighting this battle. She has supported him and become his good friend.

In this emotional episode, we hear what it takes to battle the Home Office and win.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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Alcohol tags, or sobriety tags, have been being trialled as a way of dealing with alcohol-related disorder for some years. Now, increasingly, they're being given to people released from prison on licence as a way of reducing their risk of reoffending. What are they, how do they know if you've been drinking, what's it like wearing one ... and most importantly, do they work?

Scout Tzofiya Bolton was released from prison just a few days ago, and she’s wearing a sobriety tag right now.

Danny Herbert successfully completed 6 months on a sobriety tag after being released from prison last year. He's approaching one year out of prison, which is the longest he's stayed out of prison for many years.

Patrick Connelly is Head of Contract Management for the Electronic Monitoring programme at His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie Additional Production: Ellen Orchard and Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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The Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 introduced a fast-track process for delivering justice that deal with the most minor summary offences. It's called the Single Justice Prodcedure, and at the time it was said to be simply a modification of existing legal processes.

A defendant is sent a notice through the post which states that if you don't respond with a guilty or not guilty plea within 21 days, the case will be dealt with in your absence and you could receive a criminal record. 

The journalist Tristan Kirk from the London Evening Standard has uncovered a series of apparent injustices connected to the Single Justice Procedure, and he joins us today to tell us the stories of vulnerable people who have received criminal convictions despite having clear mitigation.

Alongside him is Dr Jo Easton is Interim CEO and Head of Policy at Unlock, which is a charity that supports people with criminal records. She previously worked at the Magistrates Association. She explains why the principle of justice without transparency can be so damaging.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

You can apply to see your criminal record through a Subject Access Request to the Criminal Records Office:https://acro.police.uk/s/acro-services/subject-access  

Get more details about the work of Unlock: https://unlock.org.uk

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them find ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

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In February 2024 a report on conditions in HMP Bedford by HM Inspectorate of Prisons described the prison as holding people in "some of the worst conditions the inspectors had ever seen".

The inspectors issued an Urgent Notification, which raises immediate, urgent concerns with the Secretary of State for Justice. It was the fifth Urgent Notification issued in 12 months, and HMP Bedford became the third establishment to receive two Urgent Notifications.

What's happening in these prisons? And what can be done to improve conditions?

Andrea Coomber KC is a barrister and Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform – a charity that campaigns for better conditions in prisons.

Sobanan Narenthiran runs a social enterprise called Breakthrough which aims to tackle the root causes of crime. Sobanan was imprisoned in 2017 when he was a student at Plymouth University and found himself in HMP Exeter – another prison that has received two Urgent Notifications.

Presenters: Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

HMP Bedford inspection report (2024): https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/Bedford-web-2023.pdf

HMP Exeter urgent notification (2018): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/urgent-notification-for-hmp-exeter

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them find ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Life of Prisons starts a new era on Monday, with the first of our all-new weekly episodes.

Every Monday Phil and Paula will be dropping into your feed to bring you the the insights of people live in prisons, who work in prisons, and who study prisons.

We'll be updating you on the latest developments in prisons and criminal justice and hearing stories from the hidden world behind bars.

The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

The Prison Radio Association runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them find ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Christmas from The Secret Life of Prisons!

On Wednesday 22 November 2023, Rory Stewart delivered the annual Longford Lecture at Church House in Westminster. And like every year, National Prison Radio was there to broadcast the lecture into prison cells across England and Wales.

For this special edition of The Secret Life of Prisons, Phil and Paula introduce that programme, as broadcast to listeners behind bars.

The show was hosted by Paula alongside Zak, who is a presenter of our sister podcast Life After Prison.

Rory's lecture was entitled, Rhetoric vs Reality: My Journey as Prisons Minister. It addressed why politics is ill-equipped to deal with the crisis in prisons, and what we might be able to do to change this.

For more information about the Longford Trust, visit https://www.longfordtrust.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phil and Paula speak to the two presenters of BBC Radio 4's series Behind the Crime.

Dr. Sally Tilt and Dr. Kerensa Hocken have decades of experience working in prisons as forensic psychologists.

HM Prison and Probation Service is the biggest employer of forensic psychologists in the UK, and this episode looks at the role they play in people's pathway through the justice system.

We also hear clips from several episodes of Behind the Crime, as Sally and Kerensa give us the inside track on what these stories can tell us about how we administer criminal justice.

You can listen to all episodes of Behind the Crime on BBC Sounds:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0019r5c/episodes/player 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2021, the legendary TV screenwriter Jimmy McGovern released a three-part drama set in a men's prison, called Time on BBC1. In 2023, he followed it up with a brand new series set in a women's prison.

Like the first series, it was widely said to be the most realistic depiction of the complexity and nuance of prison life ever seen on British television. 

Secret Life of Prisons co-host, Paula Harriott, advised the writers during the development of the new series, and in this episode you can hear which bits of the plot came directly from her experiences of prison.

To kick off this brand new run of Secret Life of Prisons, Phil and Paula are joined by Jimmy along co-writer Helen Black to talk about the series.

Series 2 of Time is available to watch on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p09fs2qh/time

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 in 7 adults in prison were experiencing homelessness before entering custody, and fewer than half of people released from prison last year had settled accommodation on release. But what do we know about women who experience homelessness?     Phil and Paula have teamed up with the Orwell Foundation and the Centre for Homelessness Impact to bring you another three-part series looking at the intertwined issues of homelessness, social deprivation, crime and justice.     Down, Not Out is the companion podcast to The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2024.     Host Paddy O'Connell, who is a friend of The Prison Radio Association and is also a judge of the new prize, talks to experts and people who've experienced homelessness, to get a better idea of the scale of the problem and how it might be solved.     Episode 3 gets into some of the gritty issues and contains compelling stories, examining the issues faced by women experiencing homelessness and why data on this is so lacking. What’s being done to fill this gap?     Secret Life of Prisons   Presenters: Paula Harriott and Phil Maguire Producer: Andrew Wilkie     Orwell Foundation Host: Paddy O'Connell Editor and Producer: Alex Grundon   Producer: Michelle Featherstone Executive Producer: Liz Wallace     Contributors   Professor Jean Seaton, Director of The Orwell Foundation   Freya Marshall Payne, an academic focussing on women and homelessness, who has personal experience of it.   Ligia Teixeira, Founding Chief Executive of the Centre For Homelessness Impact, our partners in this podcast.   With special and heartfelt thanks to Richard Blair, George Orwell’s son, for narrating an extract of his dad’s book for the podcast.     The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness is open for entries until 31 March 2024. Entry details are available here: https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-prizes/about/about-the-prizes/reporting-homelessness/     You can also enter by post. The address is The Orwell Foundation, IAS, University College London, WC1E 6BT. Please include a contact number or email address for someone who can reach you, if you can.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 in 7 adults in prison were experiencing homelessness before entering custody, and fewer than half of people released from prison last year had settled accommodation on release. But what if you’re living in another country from where you were born and things start going wrong?   Phil and Paula have teamed up with the Orwell Foundation and the Centre for Homelessness Impact to bring you another three-part series looking at the intertwined issues of homelessness, social deprivation, crime and justice.   Down, Not Out is the companion podcast to The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2024.   Host Paddy O'Connell, who is a friend of The Prison Radio Association and is also a judge of the new prize, talks to experts and people who've experienced homelessness, to get a better idea of the scale of the problem and how it might be solved.   Episode 2 gets into some of the gritty issues around homelessness, and contains compelling stories, looking at what it’s like to be away from your home country AND without a home to live in; that’s Foreign Nationals and Homelessness.    Secret Life of Prisons Presenters: Paula Harriott and Phil Maguire Producer: Andrew Wilkie   Orwell Foundation Host: Paddy O'Connell Editor and Producer: Alex Grundon Producer: Michelle Featherstone Executive Producer: Liz Wallace   Contributors Stephen Armstrong, journalist, writer, trustee of The Orwell Foundation and author of The Road to Wigan Pier Revisited. Patrick, a French national who came to the UK but lost his identity papers and experienced homelessness after 30 years of having a home here. Bridget Young, Director of 'NACCOM - THE NO ACCOMMODATION NETWORK - an organisation that helps people who come to the UK from abroad who find themselves homeless. With special and heartfelt thanks to Richard Blair, George Orwell’s son, for narrating an extract of his dad’s book for the podcast.   The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness is open for entries until 31 March 2024. Entry details are available here: https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-prizes/about/about-the-prizes/reporting-homelessness/   You can also enter by post. The address is The Orwell Foundation, IAS, University College London, WC1E 6BT. Please include a contact number or email address for someone who can reach you, if you can.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 in 7 adults in prison were experiencing homelessness before entering custody, and fewer than half of people released from prison last year had settled accommodation on release. Many had a less than perfect start in life, finding themselves in care. There seems to be a clear link between growing up in care and experiencing homelessness.   Phil and Paula have teamed up with the Orwell Foundation and the Centre for Homelessness Impact to bring you another three-part series looking at the intertwined issues of homelessness, social deprivation, crime and justice.   Down, Not Out is the companion podcast to The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2024.   Host Paddy O'Connell, a friend of The Prison Radio Association and also a judge of the new prize, talks to experts and people who've experienced homelessness, to get a better idea of the scale of the problem and how it might be solved.   This episode gets into some of the gritty issues around homelessness, and contains compelling stories, including one from a man who’s just been released from prison.   Secret Life of Prisons Presenters: Paula Harriott and Phil Maguire Producer: Andrew Wilkie   Orwell Foundation Host: Paddy O'Connell Editor and Producer: Alex Grundon Producer: Michelle Featherstone Executive Producer: Liz Wallace   Contributors: DJ Taylor - George Orwell’s official biographer;  Kadeem - recently released from prison; Professor Michael Sanders - Centre for Homelessness Impact and lecturer at King’s College London; Danny Lavelle - joint winner of the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2023.   The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2024 is open for entries until 31 March 2024. Entry details are available here: https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-prizes/about/about-the-prizes/reporting-homelessness/   You can also enter by post. The address is The Orwell Foundation, IAS, University College London, WC1E 6BT. Please include a contact number or email address for someone who can reach you, if you can.

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1 in 7 adults in prison were homeless before entering custody, and fewer than half of people released from prison last year had settled accommodation on release.

Phil and Paula have teamed up with the Orwell Foundation and the Centre for Homelessness Impact to bring you this brand news series looking at the intertwined issues of homelessness, social deprivation, crime and justice.

Down, Not Out is the companion podcast to The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2023.

Host Sangita Myska, who is also a judge of the new prize, talks to experts and people who've experienced homelessness, to get a better idea of the scale of the problem and how it might be solved.

This episode focuses on some of the possible solutions to homelessness. It contains vivid experiences of homelessness that are upsetting and graphic.

Secret Life of Prisons Presenters: Paula Harriott and Phil Maguire Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Orwell Foundation Host: Sangita MyskaReader: Malorie Blackman OBEProducer: Alex GrundonExecutive Producer: Liz Wallace

Contributors: Chris Lynam; Christina Lamb (Journalist and author of The Prince Rupert Hotel for the Homeless) and Stephen Armstrong (Journalist and author of The Road to Wigan Pier Revisited and Trustee, The Orwell Foundation)

The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2023 is open for entries until 17 April 2023.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 in 7 adults in prison were homeless before entering custody, and fewer than half of people released from prison last year had settled accommodation on release.

Phil and Paula have teamed up with the Orwell Foundation and the Centre for Homelessness Impact to bring you this brand news series looking at the intertwined issues of homelessness, social deprivation, crime and justice.

Down, Not Out is the companion podcast to The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2023.

Host Sangita Myska, who is also a judge of the new prize, talks to experts and people who've experienced homelessness, to get a better idea of the scale of the problem and how it might be solved.

This episode focuses on the many forms of modern homelessness and their impact.

Secret Life of Prisons Presenters: Paula Harriott and Phil Maguire Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Orwell Foundation Host: Sangita MyskaReader: Malorie Blackman OBEProducer: Alex GrundonExecutive Producer: Liz Wallace

Contributors: Nic Woods, Leanna Fairfax (Centre for Homelessness Impact) and Stephen Armstrong (Journalist and author of The Road to Wigan Pier Revisited and Trustee, The Orwell Foundationndation)

The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2023 is open for entries until 17 April 2023.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 in 7 adults in prison were homeless before entering custody, and fewer than half of people released from prison last year had settled accommodation on release.

Phil and Paula have teamed up with the Orwell Foundation and the Centre for Homelessness Impact to bring you this brand news series looking at the intertwined issues of homelessness, social deprivation, crime and justice.

Down, Not Out is the companion podcast to The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2023.

Host Sangita Myska, who is also a judge of the new prize, talks to experts and people who've experienced homelessness, to get a better idea of the scale of the problem and how it might be solved.

This episode gets into some of the gritty issues around homelessness, including the scarcity and precarity of food… and sex.

Secret Life of Prisons Presenters: Paula Harriott and Phil Maguire Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Orwell Foundation Host: Sangita MyskaReader: Malorie Blackman OBEProducer: Alex GrundonExecutive Producer: Liz Wallace

Contributors: Charlston Aslet and Professor Jean Seaton, Director, The Orwell Foundation

The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2023 is open for entries until 17 April 2023.

Entry details are available here.

You can also enter by post. The address is The Orwell Foundation, IAS, University College London, WC1E 6BT. Please include a contact number or email address for someone who can reach you, if you can.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phil and Paula introduce a VERY special show for Christmas.

Lady Unchained is one of the best-known voices behind bars. She's the host of Free Flow - a weekly show on National Prison Radio that encouranges listeners to call in with their lyrics, performed to backing tracks that they play on the radio.

'It's the show where we play the beat twice so you can get your bars right.'

She's also the author of Behind Bars - an anthology of poetry written during and after her prison sentence.

In this special show, recorded live at Libereria in London to mark the release of her book, she's interviewed by Jules Rowan, who has also spent time in prison and is now the host of our hugely successful sister podcast Life After Prison.

We hear debut performances from two young artists who Brenda has nurtured - Aliyah Ali and Tamar. Plus, we hear an amazing clip from Free Flow of a listener who took the bars he recorded in prison and turned them into a professionally-produced track.

Thanks to the team at Second Home for organising and hosting the event.

You can buy Behind Bars here: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/behind-bars-on-punishment-prison-release/9781914240317

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Phil Magure is joined by Zak and Jules, the hosts of the Prison Radio Association's brand new podcast Life After Prison.

If you've been to prison, or if you know someone who has, Life After Prison is building a community of people who can support each other through the experience of release and reintegration to society.

Click here to watch Life After Prison on YouTube: https://youtu.be/by2wkIfNcTE

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