The Secret Life of Prisons
Prison Radio Association 124 episodes Nov 9, 2026
The Secret Life of Prisons is a podcast from the Prison Radio Association that uncovers hidden stories from inside prisons. Hosted by Paula Harriott, who spent time in prison and now works with Unlock, and Phil Maguire, who has worked in prisons for two decades, the show explores crime, justice, and the experiences of those affected by imprisonment. The series aims to give insight into life behind bars and the issues surrounding the justice system.
Episodes
The Longford Lecture 2026 | Charlie Taylor, David Kendall
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 scathing diagnosis of the problems Charlie Taylor has seen in his six years as His Majesty's Chief Inspector
Amicable: Problem-Solving In Prisons
Amicable is an innovative project which provides people in prison with a model for solving complex problems. It involves prisoners being trained to support other prisoners to address the challenges they're facing in their lives in a structured way.It is currently being piloted in a handful of prisons in the north of England but researchers hope to expand it across the prison estate.To explain
BONUS SERIES: Making Space For Radical Imagination in Criminal Justice
Ep3: Agents of change on the insideA 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, peop
BONUS SERIES: Making Space For Radical Imagination in Criminal Justice
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
BONUS SERIES: Making Space For Radical Imagination in Criminal Justice
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,
Live at Clinks Conference 2026 | Lord James Timpson and Anne Fox
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
Waiting For The Out | Andy West and Ric Renton
Andy West teaches 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 Renton spent time in three prisons in the north-east of England, including HMP Durham. He i
Christmas Special: Louis Theroux Live at the Radio Festival
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 p
Phil's mic drop
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 w
How the press reports crime | Beatrice Auty and Charlie Moloney
Beatrice Auty was 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.Char
A gold award-winning episode of The Secret Life of Prisons
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
*The Big Give 2025* | Faye Dunn and Toni Garrigos
If you would like to support the Prison Radio Association, visit prison.radio/biggive and 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 AssociationPaula Harriot
Inside a Drug Recovery Wing | Wayne Hickman and Ash
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
The Longford Lecture 2025 | Dame Rachel De Souza, Angus Stobie, Jeremy Howe
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 t
The Prison Photographer | Andy Aitchison
Andy Aitchison has 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 AssociationPaula Harriott –
Charlie's Promise | Martin Cosser
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 Cosser made a promise to Charlie that he would spend the rest of his life educating young people about the danger
A life sentence | Sarah
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 Maguir
The day after the death of Ian Watkins | Tom Wheatley
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
Changing Tunes | Isie Potter and Laura
When Laura found 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
What is criminology? | Live from the University of Greenwich | Shahid Amin and Dr Ruth Armstrong
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 As
Frank's Walk
One month into Frank Stedman's prison 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 hel
Your questions answered | David Breakspear and Dr. Ruth Armstrong
We love receiving your questions, thoughts and comments. Email us at podcasts@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 s
The Future of Probation: Part 3 | Martin Jones CBE, Professor Nicola Carr and Dr. Matthew Millings
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 we
Windrush | James Batchelor and Colin McFarlane
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. Co
Holloway | Tamar and Daisy-May Hudson
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 Hudson is one of the c
Life on licence | Zak Addae-Kodua and Cecilia Goodwin
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 represen
How to run a festival in a prison | David Kendall and Jailhouse Moose
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, includin
*Emergency Podcast* The Independent Sentencing Review | David Shipley
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 AssociationPaula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProduce
The extreme far-right in prison | Nigel Bromage and Graham Finochio
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 suppo
To fix the filing cabinet or the person? | Cherie Blair KC and Kate Morrissey
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 Morrissey is on the Women’s Justice Partnership Delivery Group which supp
The Prison Philosophers | Andy West and Ray Smith
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 philos
The HMP Brixton Half Marathon
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 Ap
Justice vs the culture wars | Your questions answered
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 AssociationPaula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew WilkieAssistant Producer: Faye DunnThe Prison Radio Associa
We've visited a *lot* of prisons | Duewaine Marshalleck-Baker and Arthur Hagues
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 -
Who was Chris Tchaikovsky? | Kate Fraser and Deborah Coles
Chris Tchaikovsky was 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
Disclosure and barring | Peter Lewis and Penelope Gibbs
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
Visits | Faye Dunn and Mo
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 a
Finding the common ground | Alice Dawnay and Kam
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 committe
Why me? | Khamran Uddin and Keeva Baxter
In 2013, Khamran Uddin wrote 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
The culture of sentencing | David Gauke
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-
Talent development | Richie Makepeace and Nancy Prentice
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 no
The most serious development in decades | Michael Kennedy and Ian Vandersluys
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 A
Diagnosis | Scout Tzofiya Bolton and Michelle Walsh
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 Ta
Sentencing: A Primer | Tim Owen KC
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: An
Telling stories | Mickey Dehara and Max Porter
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 se
Moral blindness | Jamie Bennett and Andrew Morris
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 whic
Prison in numbers | Dr. Kimmett Edgar
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
Spending Christmas outside San Quentin | Greg Eskridge and Eli Wirtschafter
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
Outside the Old Bailey
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
I disappeared for seven years | Sarah Moore and Sonya Ruparel
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 Exe
Six people who were in prison and now work in radio | Ali, Jules, Nico, Garth, Faye ... plus Paula
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
Parenting from behind bars | Sean Henry
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 change
What I Learned About Prison in Iran | Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe gives the Longford Lecture 2024
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
I lost 18 stone in prison | Tyler Voase and Samy Ali
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 da
What can we learn about the future of criminal justice from the budget? | Matthew Torbitt and Ben Zaranko
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 f
Seven years in the seg | Dwaine Patterson and Claire Salama
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
Prisons and the press | David Shipley and Danny Shaw
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 colu
My probation officer is also my colleague! | Simon Madu and Danielle Bond
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 offi
From Cell to CEO | Paula Harriott
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 fi
The Secret Life of Prisons visits the Labour Party Conference | Paul Mason and Faye Dunn
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 ne
Being diagnosed with cancer in prison | Tony, Marion Misselbrook and Professor Jo Armes
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 HM
Hold or Fold | Ben Jones and Steve Girling
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 worke
Food in women's prisons | Libby and Dr. Erin Power
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 J
What does the country think about prisons?
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 peop
Lessons from a former Prisons Minister | Rory Stewart
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 cris
The Secret Life of Lifers | Part 2
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. -- 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 Ph
The Secret Life of Lifers | Part 1
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
The future of probation: Part 2 | Professor Nicola Carr and Dr. Matthew Millings
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
Prisons under Starmer | Lord Ken Macdonald KC
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. -- 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
Violence on prison wings | Duewaine Marshalleck-Baker and Conroy Harris
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. -- 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 Associati
The future of probation: Part 1 | Lol Burke and Caroline
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 bein
Miscarriages of Justice | Andrew Malkinson and Emily Bolton
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 solicit
Five big asks for the next government | Anne Fox
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
James Phillips: National Prison Radio's Rock Show legend | Ollie Brookes and Scout Tzofiya Bolton
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. -- 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
Five pieces of advice for the next government | Andi Brierley
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. -- 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
Being released homeless | Michael Sloane and Matt Gannon
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. -- 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
Five things to look out for at the general election | Dominic Grieve, former Attorney General
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. -- 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 identi
From prison to law school | Chris Walters and Peter Stanford
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. -- 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 201
The economics of prison | Grace Blakeley and Vicky Pryce
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. -- 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
Five things to look out for at the general election | Louisa James, Political Correspondent for Good Morning Britain
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. -- 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
