The Secret Life of Prisons podcast

Seven years in the seg | Dwaine Patterson and Claire Salama

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Episode notes

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