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Life After Prison

Prison Radio Association

A podcast for anyone who has spent time in prison or is close to someone who has. Featuring incredible stories from people who've been inside, plus advice and support for those recently released. Follow us at @afterprisonpod on Instagram and X and @lifeafterprisonpod on TikTok

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

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  • 182 episodes
  • Updated Thursday

Episodes182

Newest first
  • May 8, 2025 · 30 min

    Life After Prison The Spark | Pri

    This week Jules speaks to Pri, whose negative relationship with alcohol lead to multiple convictions and stints in prison. Unwavering support from the charity ID Essence, a probation officer willing to go the extra mile to help support her with binge drinking, and being fitted with an alcohol tag, helped Pri get to the place where she is today. She’s now working for ID Essence, supporting women coming out of prison, and prefers a takeaway and a Netflix binge to getting drunk on a Friday night. The full version of this episode can be found wherever you get your podcasts: (link) Useful organisations: ID Essence- ID Essence work with young adults aged 18-25 in women's prisons and after https://www.idessence.org/ Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Help and support for anyone with alcohol problems. https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/ Alcohol Change UK- Information and support options for people worried about how much alcohol they are drinking. alcoholchange.org.uk Change Grow Live- Find information and local support services for alcohol and drug use. changegrowlive.org Mind- making sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone https://www.mind.org.uk/ Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you’d just like to get in touch, please contact us. 💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok 📧 Email us: podcasts@prison.radio ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF 🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Apr 24, 2025 · 23 min

    The Spark | Kerry

    In this episode Jules speaks to 20-year-old Kerry, who’s only been out of prison a month at the time of recording. They chat about how losing a friend in the Grenfell Tower fire at the age of 13 had a massive impact on Kerry, who later became expelled from school, and at the age of 17 received a 5 year prison sentence. For Kerry, being recalled back to prison after being released half way through her sentence was a big wake up call, and changed her outlook on moving forwards. The full version of this episode can be found wherever you get your podcasts: (link) Useful links and organisations: ID Essence- ID Essence work with young adults aged 18-25 in women's prisons and after https://www.idessence.org/ Action for Children- We help those in trouble to turn their lives around https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/our-work-and-impact/children-and-families/young-people/ Nacro- We see your future, whatever your past https://www.nacro.org.uk/ St Giles Trust- Turning a past into a future https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/ Unlock- Building a fairer future for people with criminal records https://unlock.org.uk/ Working Chance- Unlocking Women’s Potential https://workingchance.org/ Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you’d just like to get in touch, please contact us. 💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok 📧 Email us: podcasts@prison.radio ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF 🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Apr 10, 2025 · 40 min

    The Spark | Sharon

    In this episode, Jules chats to Sharon. Sharon’s life on the Cornish coast is idyllic, but her life has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs to get to this point. From escaping an abusive relationship and serving a prison sentence for benefit fraud, to cycling around the world, battling serious health problems and publishing her own book. Useful organisations: Kaleidoscopic UK - Supporting Children and Adults who have been exposed to domestic abuse https://www.kaleidoscopic.uk/ Women’s Aid - Building a future where domestic abuse is not tolerated https://www.womensaid.org.uk/ Refuge - For women and children against domestic abuse https://refuge.org.uk/ National Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0808 2000 247 PACT - Prison Advice and Care Trust- We build stronger families and safer communities https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/ POPS - Partners of Prisoners- Providing information and support for offenders' families from the point of arrest through to release and beyond. https://www.partnersofprisoners.co.uk/ Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you’d just like to get in touch, please contact us. 💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok 📧 Email us: podcasts@prison.radio ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Mar 27, 2025 · 27 min

    The Spark | Sarah

    In this episode Jules talks to Sarah, who after years of struggling with her mental health and substance abuse, found that the warmth, support and community found in a women’s centre not far from her home, would help her transform her life. Useful organisations: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/ POPS (Partners of Prisoners) https://www.partnersofprisoners.co.uk/ Women’s Service Map https://www.womensservicesmap.com/ Mind https://www.mind.org.uk/ Trauma Breakthrough https://www.traumabreakthrough.org/ Adoption Matters https://www.adoptionmatters.org/ Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you’d just like to get in touch, please contact us. 💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok 📧 Email us: podcasts@prison.radio ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF 🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Mar 13, 2025 · 39 min

    Introducing: Hold or Fold – Betting Shops with David Navarro & Lady Unchained

    Life After Prison will be back with you soon but while we are finalising series 8 in the studio, we thought that we'd share some episodes of another podcast here. It’s called Hold or Fold and is made by our colleagues at the Prison Radio Association. 'Hold or Fold' explores gambling harm with an emphasis on the criminal justice system, your hosts Ben & Steve have both served time in prison as a direct result of their gambling. In this episode we’re looking at betting shops and the role they play in the wider gambling culture. Ben & Steve let us know if betting shops played a part within their own journeys and we hear from two people who were impacted by betting shops for very different reasons… David lost a large amount in a betting shop and fell into a cycle of robbing them, to claim ‘revenge’ - He ended up serving a 10 year prison sentence as a result of this. Meanwhile, Lady Unchained experienced this from the other side of the counter, working in a well-known betting shop for 5 years. USEFUL LINKS: David’s Channel 4 Documentary David’s YouTube channel Lady Unchained Reframe Coaching Gamcare Gordon Moody Gamfam Gamlearn Bet Know More Breakeven Epic Global Solutions Gambler’s Anonymous Call the National Gambling helpline, for free, on 0808 8020 133 If you would like to get in touch with Hold or Fold and ask us a question, suggest a topic or start a conversation, you can E-mail us at... 📧: Podcasts@prison.radio 💬 DM us: @holdorfoldpod on Instagram & Twitter (X) ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF This episode is hosted by... Ben Jones & Steve Girling You can find out more about the work of the 'Prison Radio Association' and 'National Prison Radio' here: https://prison.radio/ Thanks to GambleAware for the support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Mar 6, 2025 · 39 min

    Introducing: Hold or Fold – Introducing Ben & Steve

    Life After Prison will be back with you soon but while we are finalising series 8 in the studio, we thought that we'd share some episodes of another podcast here. It’s called Hold or Fold and is made by our colleagues at the Prison Radio Association. 'Hold or Fold' explores gambling harm with an emphasis on the criminal justice system, your hosts Ben & Steve have both served time in prison as a direct result of their gambling. In this first episode they are introducing themselves to you, a brand new audience. They candidly share what got them into gambling, how it escalated and why this led to a prison sentence. What was that first night in prison like? How did they cope? And how were they able to turn their adversity into a positive? Plus, Ben & Steve will be taking their first listener question in ‘Cards On the Table’ - We’d love to hear your questions too. To do this, use the links below. USEFUL LINKS: Reframe Coaching Gamcare GambleAware Gambler’s Anonymous Breakeven Gamfam Gamlearn Call the National Gambling helpline, for free, on 0808 8020 133 If you would like to get in touch with Hold or Fold and ask us a question, suggest a topic or start a conversation, you can E-mail us at... 📧: Podcasts@prison.radio 💬 DM us: @holdorfoldpod on Instagram & Twitter (X) ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF This episode is hosted by... Ben Jones & Steve Girling ...And is funded by 'Gambleaware' You can find out more about the work of the 'Prison Radio Association' and 'National Prison Radio' here: https://prison.radio/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Feb 27, 2025 · 28 min

    Life After Prison The Spark: Charlotte

    In this episode Jules chats to Charlotte, who after years of self-harm, admissions to psychiatric hospitals, and a period of time in prison, is now in a really happy place. Charlotte has big ambitions for her future, and wants to be that support for others that she needed when she was younger, and she’s well on her way to achieving her goal. Useful links and organisations: Working Chance: https://workingchance.org/ Girls Get Social: https://www.instagram.com/girls.get.social/ Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/ Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Feb 20, 2025 · 23 min

    How Do You Deal With Uncertainty?

    Zak and Jules discuss dealing with the fear of the unknown and how this affected them when leaving prison. They also hear from people inside about some of the hobbies they’ve developed to help pass the time, and the small privileges they now recognise that they’re missing out on. Useful organisations: Mental Health and Emotional Support Mind (Nationwide) – Offers mental health resources, advice, and support https://mind.org.uk Samaritans (Nationwide) – Provides a listening ear for anyone struggling or feeling overwhelmed. https://samaritans.org Second Step (Bristol and South West) – Provides mental health support and housing assistance. https://second-step.co.uk Housing and Homelessness Shelter (Nationwide) – Offers housing advice and support. https://shelter.org.uk The Wallich (Wales) – Provides housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness. https://thewallich.com Crisis (Nationwide) – Assists individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of it after release. https://crisis.org.uk St Petrocs (Cornwall) – Supports individuals at risk of homelessness, including those recently released from prison. https://www.stpetrocs.org.uk/ YMCA Derbyshire (Midlands) – Provides supported housing and life skills programs for ex-offenders. https://ymcaderbyshire.org.uk Employment and Training St. Giles Trust (Nationwide) – Supports people transitioning out of prison, including help with employment. https://stgilestrust.org.uk Tempus Novo (Yorkshire) – Connects ex-offenders with employers and provides mentoring support. https://tempusnovo.org Northern Learning Trust (North East) – Offers education and mentoring for individuals in the criminal justice system. https://northernlearningtrust.org.uk Bounce Back (Nationwide) – Helps individuals leaving prison gain training and employment in construction. https://www.bouncebackproject.com/ Mentoring and Personal Development Spark2Life (London)– Offers mentoring and personal development for people navigating life after prison. https://spark2life.co.uk The Forward Trust (Nationwide) – Provides life coaching, addiction recovery, and reintegration programs. https://forwardtrust.org.uk The Footprints Project (Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight) – Provides mentoring and support for reintegration after prison. https://www.footprintsproject.co.uk/ Sacro (Scotland) – Offers mentoring and restorative justice services for reintegration. https://sacro.org.uk Legal and Advocacy Support Unlock (Nationwide) – Provides advice on dealing with criminal records and rights post-prison. https://unlock.org.uk The Howard League for Penal Reform (Nationwide) – Campaigns for improvements in prison conditions and post-release support. https://howardleague.org Changing Lives (North East & Yorkshire) – Offers creative programs alongside housing, addiction recovery, and employment services. https://changing-lives.org.uk Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you’d just like to get in touch, please contact us. 💬 Socials: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and X, @lifeafterprison on TikTok 📧 Email: podcasts@prison.radio ✉️ Write: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF 🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Feb 13, 2025 · 27 min

    Life After Prison The Spark: Scout

    In this episode Jules chats to Scout, a poet, writer and broadcaster. Scout, who ended up in prison after experiencing a manic state of psychosis, explores themes of mental health, prison and sobriety in her work. She talks to Jules about rediscovering her ability to write, turning to faith in prison and learning to like yourself. The full version of this episode can be found wherever you get your podcasts: (link) Useful links and organisations: National Prison Radio: https://prison.radio/national-prison-radio/ The Mad Art of Doing Time: https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/scout-tzofiya-bolton-the-mad-art-of-doing-time Scout’s Guardian article (link to follow in January) The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00223pb Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/ Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you’d just like to get in touch, please contact us. 💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok 📧 Email us: podcasts@prison.radio ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF 🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Feb 6, 2025 · 48 min

    I Planned My Business In The Prison Kitchen | Abdul Bangura

    Zak and Jules meet Abdul Bangura. Abdul has served three prison sentences. He is now a successful entrepreneur running his own aviation business. Abdul talks to Zak and Jules about how a chance meeting with his mentor in prison set him on a path to see his own potential. Useful organisations: The Alac Group – Abdul Bangura’s aviation Company https://thealacgroup.co.uk/about Power The Fight – a charity that empowers local communities to end youth violence https://www.powerthefight.org.uk/ School For Social Entrepreneurs – Supporting people ignite change in their communities https://www.the-sse.org/ Social Ark (East London) – Social Ark is a charity supporting young people from under-resourced communities, including ex-offenders, to create social enterprises or community-focused businesses. https://www.socialark.co.uk/ The Open University – Business and Entrepreneurship Courses (Nationwide) – The Open University offers a wide range of courses in business, management, and entrepreneurship, with many open to those with justice system involvement. https://www.open.ac.uk/ The King’s Trust (Nationwide) – The King’s Trust offers a range of programs to support young people, including ex-offenders, in starting their own businesses. https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/ The Longford Trust (Nationwide) – The Longford Trust offers mentoring and scholarships to prisoners and ex-offenders pursuing higher education. https://www.longfordtrust.org/ Tempus Novo (Leeds) – Tempus Novo works with ex-offenders to secure stable employment, particularly focusing on the transition to self-employment or business ownership for those who want to pursue an entrepreneurial path. https://www.tempusnovo.org/ Changing Lives (North East and Midlands) – Changing Lives provides support for those coming out of prison, including pathways to entrepreneurship and self-employment through vocational training. https://www.changing-lives.org.uk/ Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you’d just like to get in touch, please contact us. 💬 Socials: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and X, @lifeafterprison on TikTok 📧 Email: podcasts@prison.radio ✉️ Write: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF 🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Jan 30, 2025 · 31 min

    Life After Prison The Spark: Kiri

    In this episode Jules is joined by trainee barrister Kiri, whose dreams of a legal career were shaped when she was remanded in prison under joint enterprise law. Kiri tells Jules about the abusive relationship that caused her downward spiral, and...

  • Jan 23, 2025 · 28 min

    Starting Your Own Business After Prison

    Zak and Jules explore what it takes to start and manage a business after prison, sharing their own journeys and lessons learned. They discuss building confidence, taking opportunities, and how businesses can open unexpected doors. This podcast is...

  • Jan 16, 2025 · 28 min

    Life After Prison The Spark: OneDa

    In this episode Jules sits down with rapper, OneDa. Hot off the launch of her debut album, OneDa explains how she broke into the music industry. She also talks to Jules about experiencing the criminal justice system in her youth, her female rap...

  • Jan 2, 2025 · 30 min

    Life After Prison The Spark: Faye

    In this episode Jules is joined by audio producer, Faye. While in prison, Faye found herself presenting regular shows on National Prison Radio. Now, together with Jules, she continues this work on the outside with the Prison Radio Association....

  • Dec 26, 2024 · 29 min

    Reflections, Goals and Growth

    In this episode, Zak and Jules explore what it’s like adjusting to life after prison, reflecting on their personal journeys, and the superstitions many people have when leaving. They hear from a listener who opens up about his entrepreneurial...