In this episode, Tony talks to Haidar Razzak, co-founder of Basement Gym + Studio, an independent gym business with sites across London.

Haidar shares the journey that took him from prison to studying Mathematics at the University of Oxford and building successful businesses. He talks about losing his father at a young age, the circumstances that led to his offending, and the moment in prison that made him realise he needed to change direction.

He also reflects on rediscovering education in prison, the barriers and rejection he faced after release, and his determination to keep moving forward. From selling ice creams after leaving prison, to setting up a transport service helping families visit loved ones at HMP Wayland, studying at Oxford University, and eventually launching Basement Gym. 

Haidar shares what he's learned about entrepreneurship, leadership and breaking seemingly impossible challenges down into manageable steps.

Useful organisations: 

• Prisoners' Education Trust - Supporting people in prison to access distance-learning courses and educational opportunities.
• The Longford Trust - Providing scholarships and mentoring to people with convictions who want to continue their education at university.
• The King's Trust - Supporting young people to develop skills and move into employment, education or enterprises
•  The Open University - Offering flexible distance-learning courses and degrees, including opportunities for people studying while in prison.
• DWRM (Doing What Really Matters) - Supporting people with lived experience of the criminal justice system into education, employment and opportunities to build a positive future.

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: [email protected] 

✉️ 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.

Today's conversation is with a mother whose life changed in ways she could never have imagined. Her story takes us through unimaginable loss, grief, public judgement and the devastating impact of the criminal justice system on a family. 

But this isn't just a story about what happened, it's about what came after. Finding a way to keep going, turning pain into purpose, and using her own experience to support other families and young people. 

She's now doing incredible work helping people understand trauma, emotions, choices and the impact they can have on their lives. 

Organisations: 

A Life of Choices - A charity that uses lived experience to create programs that address the root causes of violence, support families affected by the criminal justice system, and help men forge healthier paths forward.

Manhood From Within - Through extensive engagement with the criminal justice system, both personally and professionally, they've developed a program that addresses both the practical and emotional needs of men serving long sentences.

Prison Advice and Care Trust — Supports prisoners and their families, including children with family visits, relationship support and resettlement.  

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: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

In this episode of Cellmate To CEO, Tony Supreme talks to Sophie Strachan, CEO of Sophia Forum, a charity promoting and advocating for the rights, health, welfare and dignity of women living with HIV. Sophie also works part-time as a sexual health adviser in the NHS.

Sophie shares her journey from addiction and prison, to becoming a CEO and advocate for women living with HIV. She talks about receiving an HIV diagnosis shortly after arriving in prison, the peer support that helped her through some of the most difficult periods of her life, and how recovery and community gave her a new sense of purpose.

She also reflects on becoming involved with Sophia Forum and eventually stepping into the role of CEO, as well as the stigma that still surrounds both HIV and having a criminal record. More than 20 years after leaving prison, Sophie shares what she's learned about resilience, leadership and the importance of seeing what's possible through other people. 

• Sophia Forum - Promotes and advocates for the rights, health, welfare and dignity of women living with HIV, and works to ensure their voices are heard in the decisions that affect them.
• Narcotics Anonymous (NA) - Peer-led support and meetings for people for whom drugs have become a major problem.
• Positively UK - Provides peer-led support, advocacy and information for people living with HIV.

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: [email protected] 

✉️ 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.

Today we are joined by Naomi, and her journey is one of resilience, service and transformation. From becoming a mum at just 16 to serving 6 years in the military with tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, her life then took a turn that ultimately led to a prison sentence. We talk about life before prison, the realities of serving time whilst being a mother, and how these experiences have led her to create Omi Nai Wellness. A space where she now helps others heal through nervous system regulation, bodywork and holistic wellbeing.

Organisations: 

Omi Nai Wellness - A holistic wellness space focused on helping people restore balance and wellbeing through mindful, natural therapies. Offering a calming environment designed to support relaxation, healing, and self-care.

Birth Companions (London and the South East) – Provides support for pregnant women and mothers in prison, including help with resettlement and parenting. https://www.birthcompanions.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: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

When Caprice went to prison for the first time at 44, she never imagined a poster on a prison wall would lead her to Ali, a coach whose belief in her would help reshape her future. Together, they share a story of resilience, recall, rebuilding and the importance of having someone who sees your potential, even when you can't see it yourself. 

Organisations: 

Her/their Mighty Pen: Life writing from women's prisons, featuring a foreword by award-winning broadcaster and poet Scout Tzofiya Bolton. A collection of memoir, poetry, letters, essays and short stories by women and non-binary people in prison in the UK, meditating on themes spanning childhood, ancestors, care, identity, mental health and prison life.

Online Launch Event - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/hertheirmightypen/2344163

Working Chance - Helps women with convictions into employment, offering career coaching, skills training, and support for those exploring self-employment or entrepreneurship. 

Spark Inside - deliver coaching programmes in prisons, helping young people develop confidence, emotional intelligence, and a sense of purpose. Their work focuses on supporting long-term personal change and better outcomes after release. 

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: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

While studying accountancy at university, Pratik became involved in drug dealing, believing it was a shortcut to success. After being convicted of conspiracy to supply drugs, he received a 2-year prison sentence, a period that changed the course of his life. 

Pratik has written about drug policy, taught financial literacy, and, post-release, has supported people who have left prison. Former COO and now programme lead at Breakthrough CIC, Pratik is now delivering AI courses in prison, helping others prepare for life beyond the gate. 

Today, we'll talk about identity, entrepreneurship, prison, second chances, and why Pratik believes some of life's greatest strengths can be found behind bars. 

Organisations: 

Breakthrough Social Enterprise - Work with people in prison and those affected by the criminal justice system, supporting them to build positive futures and challenge the cycle of reoffending. It focuses on employment, education, mentoring and personal development, helping people move forward with their lives after prison.

Employment4All - Our mission is to help individuals in difficulties and those from disadvantaged groups gain skills, access jobs, and have equal opportunities. 

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: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

“Prison was the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Today we're joined by Lilly Lewis. The first time we met Lilly, she told us that compared to everything else she'd been though, her time in prison was the 'easiest thing she'd ever done.'

Since the last time we met her, Lilly’s achieved so much. She’s continued rebuilding her life, become a passionate advocate for women with lived experience, influenced policy and systems change, and launched her own organisation supporting women after trauma and prison.

We’re so happy to have her back and find out a bit more about what life looks like now.

Useful Organisations:

One Small Thing - An organisation with a vision of a justice system that can recognise, understand, and respond to trauma. Their mission is to redesign the justice system for women and their children.

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: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

Tony Supreme talks to Caragh Arthur, founder of Arthur Employment Law, Senior Policy Lead at HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), Non-Exec director of the housing CIC Contix, University of Cambridge graduate, and a Churchill Fellow researching the experiences of women in prison.

Caragh shares the remarkable journey that took her from childhood trauma, addiction and 16 prison sentences to becoming a business owner, civil servant and Churchill Fellow. She reflects on the people who believed in her when she couldn't believe in herself, the barriers of rebuilding life after prison, and how lived experience has shaped her approach to leadership. She also discusses founding her own employment law consultancy, studying at the University of Cambridge, and why she believes people should never be defined by their past.

Useful organisations: 

• BUBIC (Bringing Unity Back Into the Community)- Community-led organisation supporting people affected by crime, substance use and social exclusion through peer support, outreach and recovery services.
• Narcotics Anonymous (NA)- Peer support meetings for people recovering from drug addiction.
• Unlock- Independent charity providing information and advice for people with criminal records, including employment, disclosure and DBS checks.
• Churchill Fellowship- Find out more about Churchill Fellowships and how to apply for funding to research an issue you're passionate about and bring new ideas back to the 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: [email protected] 

✉️ 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.

In this episode of Cellmate To CEO, Tony Supreme talks to Chris Sylvester.  Chris is the founder of Getting Clean, an organisation ‘reducing crime and grime’ by supporting people with addiction issues by making and selling soap. Chris also runs LERO Leeds, a lived experience recovery organisation, promoting inclusive recovery. 

Chris shares the remarkable journey that took him from heroin addiction which began at the age of 12, years of offending and multiple prison sentences, to building an award-winning social enterprise with purpose at its heart. 

He reflects on the people who helped him turn his life around, the power of recovery, and why meaningful employment and community can play such an important role in helping people rebuild their lives.

Tony is the CEO of Soul Surge Wellness & Soul Surge and has lived experience of the criminal justice system himself. In this inspirational series, he talks to other CEOs, leaders and changemakers about their transition from prison to leadership.

Useful organisations: 

• Getting Clean- An organisation whose moto is ‘to ensure all addicts in the UK have access to peer-support and employment opportunities.’
• Narcotics Anonymous (NA) – Peer support meetings for people recovering from drug addiction.
• LERO Leeds- (Lived Experience Recovery Organisation) - challenging stigma and changing the perception of addiction within society

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: [email protected] 

✉️ 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.

Tony Supreme is back with a brand new series of Cellmate to CEO. Tony is the CEO of Soul Surge Wellness & Soul Surge and has lived experience of the criminal justice system himself. In this inspirational series, he talks to other CEOs, leaders and changemakers about their transition from prison to leadership.

In this episode, Tony talks to Carlotta Allum, founder of Stretch, a charity supporting people affected by prison, homelessness, addiction and social exclusion through creativity, digital skills and storytelling. Carlotta is also a qualified teacher, researcher, PhD student and recently elected Green Party councillor.

Carlotta shares the extraordinary journey that took her from a detention centre in Los Angeles, where she believed she was facing a ten-year prison sentence, to becoming a charity founder, researcher and elected public representative. She reflects on rebuilding her life after prison, the barriers of living with a criminal record, why lived experience matters, and how storytelling can help people rewrite their futures.

Useful organisations: 

• Stretch - Supporting people affected by prison, homelessness, addiction and social exclusion through creativity, culture and digital inclusion.
• Unlock - Information and advice for people with criminal records, including disclosure, employment and DBS checks.
• Nacro - Support with employment, housing, education and resettlement after prison.

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: [email protected] 

✉️ Write: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF

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