The Secret Life of Prisons podcast
By Prison Radio Association
The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate.
The podcast tells the hidden stories from behind bars.
Paula Harriott is Chief Executive of Unlock. She spent time behind bars and now works to help those who have been to prison to contribute to the debate around crime and justice.
Phil Maguire is the Chief Executive of the Prison Radio Association. He's worked in prisons for two decades and received an OBE for services to radio.
The podcast tells the hidden stories from behind bars.
Paula Harriott is Chief Executive of Unlock. She spent time behind bars and now works to help those who have been to prison to contribute to the debate around crime and justice.
Phil Maguire is the Chief Executive of the Prison Radio Association. He's worked in prisons for two decades and received an OBE for services to radio.
Latest episode
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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... -
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... -
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.… -
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... -
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… -
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... -
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 wa… -
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.... -
Hold or Fold | Ben Jones and Steve Girling
Ben Jones and Steve Girling are the hosts of , 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… -
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...
