The Secret Life of Prisons podcast

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.

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.

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.

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.    

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.

On 5 October 2015, Nigel Poor, a photographer who worked in San Quentin State Prison in California, and Earlonne Woods, who was serving a long sentence in the same prison, came up with an idea that would ultimately secure Earlonne's freedom. They're the presenter/producers of Ear Hustle, the multi award-winning, global podcast hit from Radiotopia that tells the daily stories of prison life. In this final episode of the series, they join Phil Maguire and Paula Harriott to share reflections on prison, the media and freedom. Check out Ear Hustle at www.earhustlesq.com

The creative arts in prison aren't just a 'nice-to-have'. For some they can be a passport to freedom and even a lifesaver. Saul Hewish has visited over 100 prisons in his long career as a the founder and Artistic Director of Rideout, a charity that runs creative arts for rehabilitation. He joins Phil Maguire and Paula Harriott in a series of conversations with people who, in one way or another, found their creative calling in prison. Lee Cutter's fantastic art can be found here: http://www.leecutter.com Brenda Birungi's poetry can be found at: https://www.unchainedpoetry.com  Rideout's homepage is: https://rideout.org.uk/ Walking the Wing, the audio drama produced in lockdown, can be heard here: https://soundcloud.com/saul-hewish-726672794 This episode of The Secret Life of Prisons was funded by the University of Reading as part of the 'Sounding Out: Facilitating Incarcerated People's Involvement in Penal Policy Reform' research project led by Dr Sarah Bartley in collaboration with Rideout Creative Arts for Rehabilitation and the Prison Reform Trust. The Department of Film, Theatre, Television at The University of Reading can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/film-theatre-television/

In 2021, the legendary TV screenwriter Jimmy McGovern released a three-part drama called Time on BBC1. People living and working in prisons have almost universally agreed that it's the most astonishingly realistic depiction of prison life they've ever seen.  National Prison Radio listeners were aware it was in the planning two years ago, when they broadcast a talk Jimmy gave at HMP Erlestoke describing the writing process. In this episode, Phil and Paula are joined by Jimmy along with the Executive Producer Tom Sherry to discuss the complexities of depicting prisons on the small screen. We also hear that clip from Jimmy's talk behind bars. Time is available to watch on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p09fs2qh/time

George the Poet is a spoken word performer and recording artist. His acclaimed podcast series, Have You Heard George's Podcast?, became the first non-US podcast to win the Peabody Award. He is a long-time advocate and campaigner for a fairer justice system. This episode was recorded at the 2021 Longford Lecture, an annual event run by the Longford Trust which supports people in the justice system with education and mentoring.  For more information on the Longford Trust, visit www.longfordtrust.org.

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  

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  

A brand new series of The Secret Life of Prisons starts Monday. Listen to this sneak preview of some of the voices we'll be hearing through this series, bringing you the real-life drama of life behind bars. Subscribe or Follow this feed. www.prison.radio

In our final episode of the year, guests Duewaine and Brenda are back with Phil and Paula to talk about the significance of New Year in prison. They're joined by Marc Conway who, having spent roughly fifteen New Year's Eves inside, discusses how attitudes towards the celebration vary. Presenters: Phil Maguire and Paula Harriott Guests: Duewaine, Brenda Birungi aka Lady Unchained and Marc Conway Producer: Louisa Adams

How does it feel to spend Christmas Day in prison? Phil and Paula talk about the difficulties of being locked up over Christmas and the little things that help with getting through the day. They're joined by former National Prison Radio presenter Duewaine and poet Brenda Birungi, aka Lady Unchained, who share their memories of Christmas in prison. Presenters: Phil Maguire and Paula Harriott Guests: Duewaine and Lady Unchained Producer: Louisa Adams

How should we look after young people inside? Phil and Paula hear from Courtney, who went to prison when she was a teenager. She reveals the emotional trauma of being locked up and reflects on the role prison played in rebuilding her life. Earlier this year Courtney featured in the first episode of our sister podcast, Future Prison, where she shared her experiences with Dr Hegla Swindenbank, Executive Director for Youth Custody Services at the Ministry of Justice, and Dr Giles McCathie, Lead Psychologist for Youth Custody Services. You can listen to all seven episodes of Future Prison here, including a brand new episode following up those conversations six months on. Presenters: Phil Maguire, Paula Harriott and Hilary Ineomo-Marcus Guests: Courtney, Dr Helga Swindenbank and Dr Giles McCathie This episode contains references to self harm and suicide.

In this episode, Paula and Phil talk about the importance of the telephone in prison, and what better way to do that than to call up a few friends of the podcast? Peter Yarwood, Chief Executive of Red Rose Recovery, author Rich Jones and Kemi Ryan, co-founder of Reformed Development, explain what the phone meant to them while they were in prison. And Dr Kimmett Edgar, Head of Research at the Prison Reform Trust, is back to tell us more about how the pandemic has affected the ways people inside can speak to their loved ones. Presenters: Phil Maguire and Paula Harriott Guests: Peter Yarwood, Dr Kimmett Edgar, Rich Jones and Kemi Ryan Producers: Louisa Adams and Andrew Wilkie

Can you make lasting friendships in prison? In episode two of our new series, Phil and Paula talk about the ups and the downs of making friends inside. They're joined by guests Rob and Mike aka Boats, who made friends during their time in HMP Rochester and now co-host the podcast, Banged Up. Rob and Boats share stories of how they met and let us in on the secret to staying mates on the outside. You can listen to all fourteen episodes of Banged Up here, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenters: Phil Maguire and Paula Harriott Guests: Rob and Boats Producers: Louisa Adams and Andrew Wilkie

We're back with a new series of the Secret Life of Prisons podcast. In this first episode, presenters Phil Maguire and Paula Harriott reunite to talk about the power of writing - both in prison and after release. They hear from a special panel, hosted by poet Mr Gee, where guests Jerelle, Dee and Jeanno share their experiences of prison through their writing. This episode was originally made for the Bare Lit Festival, an independent, annual festival of stories, celebrating the work of creatives of colour. You can find out more about Bare Lit and listen to sessions from this year's festival here. Presenters: Phil Maguire and Paula Harriott Guests: Mr Gee, Jerelle, Dee and Jeanno Producers: Louisa Adams and Arthur Hagues

In Episode 4, Paula and Phil hear stories about the road back out of prison, in The Release. Ruth Devent and Peter Yarwood both share their stories of being released and the bumpy path that followed. James Timpson, CEO of Timpson, reveals the many reasons his company chooses to employ people released from prison. Carl Cattermole writes and delivers a powerful piece on being released and the poet Mr Gee performs an original poem about life after prison.

In episode 3 of The Secret Life of Prisons, Paula and Phil ask what's it like to visit a family member in prison? Author of the award winning blog 'Prison.bag', Josie Bevan and her daughter Tala, talk about being regular prison visitors. Carl Cattermole delivers a powerful piece on prison visits, poet Mr Gee performs an original poem written during this recording and Dr Kimmett Edgar reflects on the truth behind the headlines and the statistics.