Life After Prison

Luke McCarthy and his guitar Bailey join Zak and Jules to talk about how his upbringing and the expectations of others shaped his life and time inside. Luke opens up about how music became his comfort in prison and how it connected him to the charity, The Irene Taylor Trust.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful organisations:

• Irene Taylor Trust
• Aspire
• NACRO
• Citizen's Advice
• Prince's Trust
• Clinks Directory
• Samaritans
• Samaritans helpline – 116 123 (24 hours)

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 and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

Clean Slate is an organisation that helps people with their finances. Emma, their head of programmes, joins Zak and Jules, to explain how to open a bank account, how Universal Credit works and signpost to lots of useful organisations and resources that can help you manage your money.

Our sister podcast Money Mondays is presented by Zak with Emma from Clean Slate and features loads of episodes with advice and support on all kinds of money issues that you might have when you come out of prison. 

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Organisations mentioned: 

• Clean Slate
• Clean Slate/Quids In Benefits Checker
• HSBC No Fixed Address Partners
• Turn2Us
• Entitled To
• Step Change
• National Debtline
• Christians Against Poverty
• Citizens Advice
• Citizens Advice – Help To Claim Phoneline:
• England: 0800 144 8 444
• Scotland: 0800 023 2581
• Wales: 08000 241 220
• www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

Contact us:

If you’ve heard something today that’s encouraged you to get some support with your finances please let us know.

💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

After entering the criminal justice system as a young person in care, Aliyah found herself in a cycle of crime. After seeing other young women caught up in the system, she decided to set up Daddyless Daughters, a non-profit that supports girls and young women across London who may have complex needs. Here, she talks to Zak and Jules about her story, and about what she believes still needs to change.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful organisations:

• CALM
• CALM helpline – 0800 58 58 58 (open 5pm-midnight)
• Samaritans
• Samaritans helpline – 116 123 (24 hours)
• Women In Prison
• Advance
• Refuge
• Daddyless Daughters

Aliyah's email address: [email protected]

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 and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

In this episode, Jules and Zak are joined by Wendy Robinson from CALM to talk about taking care of your mental health after you leave prison. We talk about how challenging it is when you first come out, and how reality can be different to what you expected. Wendy talks about how normal it is to struggle with your mental health after prison and the different ways you can get help. 

If you’re struggling with your mental health and you need support today, you can contact The Samaritans on 116 123 any time of the day or night. Please know that you are not alone, you matter and there are people out there who can help you.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Organisations mentioned: 

• CALM
• CALM helpline – 0800 58 58 58 (open 5pm-midnight)
• Samaritans
• Samaritans helpline – 116 123 (24 hours)
• MIND
• MIND Infoline number – 0300 123 3393 (provides an information and signposting service. Open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday except for bank holidays.)
• SHOUT – text for free any time on 85258
• NHS Mental Health Services
• Together
• Turning Point
• Rethink
• If you’re a woman, these orgs can help direct you to a women's centre which is a great place to find all kinds of support:
• Women In Prison
• Advance/Minerva

Contact us:

If you’ve heard something today that’s encouraged you to get some support around your mental health please let us know.

💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

Chris Lynam is a poet, writer and public speaker who currently works at The Archer Project. Prior to this, Chris was embroiled in a life of addiction and criminality, originally in Ireland and then in the UK. Here, Chris shares the story of what led him to prison, his road to recovery, and how life has been since getting out.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful organisations:

• CALM
• CALM helpline – 0800 58 58 58 (open 5pm-midnight)
• Samaritans
• Samaritans helpline – 116 123 (24 hours)
• Humankind
• Turning Point
• Survivors UK
• SSAFA
• Shannon Trust
• The Archer Project
• Printed By Us

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 and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

Jon from Humankind joins Zak and Jules to discuss the challenges around continuing, or starting, your Recovery journey after prison. We discuss the importance of reaching out for help and that it's never too late to do so. Jon tells Zak and Jules about the importance of carrying naloxone and also explains how volunteering can help you with staying on track with your recovery.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Organisations mentioned: 

• Humankind
• Breaking free/Change Grow Live
• Kaleidoscope
• Turning Point
• Nelson Trust
• We Are With You
• Apps:
  • Lower My Drinking
  • Drink Coach
  • NHS Drink Less

Contact us:

We’d love to know how your recovery journey is going since you’ve been released or if you’ve been involved in volunteering since leaving prison.

💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

In this episode we are joined by CEO, radio producer, presenter and DJ Anthony Olanipekun who left prison and founded music platform Soul Surge. Tony opens up about his life before, during and after prison, touching on how he is dealing with past trauma through therapy and describing the journey of starting his life again after release.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful organisations:

• NACRO
• Women In Prison
• Advance
• Clinks Directory
• Irene Taylor Trust

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 and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

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

🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/

Tony’s socials:

@tonysupremeuk

Soul Surge – https://soulsurge.co/

School Ground Sounds – https://www.schoolgroundsounds.org/

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

In this episode, Jules and Zak are joined by Lizzy Jewell from Working Chance to talk about finding a job after being in prison. They discuss employers’ changing attitudes towards people with convictions and the importance of having a backup plan while you look for your dream job.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Organisations mentioned: 

• Working Chance
• Switchback
• Employment 4 All
• Only A Pavement Away
• New Futures Network
• St Giles Trust
• Bounceback
• Clean Slate Solutions
• NACRO

Contact us:

If you’ve got an experience to share about looking for work after your release please let us know, or if you have contacted an organisation that we’ve mentioned here or if you just fancy getting in touch, send us a message!

💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

Tassie joins Zak and Jules to talk about her journey through the Criminal Justice System, from entering as a YO and becoming homeless at a young age, Tassie reflects on the life that she fell into and how she got out of it. Since coming out, Tassie has set up her own business helping to support care leavers in custody and gained a university degree. She now works for HMPPS as Reducing Re-offending National Lived Experience Lead.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful organisations:

• The Rees Foundation 
• Care Leaver Covenant
• Catch 22
• Prison Reform Trust
• User Voice
• Revolving Doors
• Epic
• Going Forward into Employment Scheme

Contact us:

If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, please let us know.

💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

✉️ 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.

In this episode, Jules and Zak are joined by Heidi Trott from Shelter to discuss the housing options available if you've recently left prison. We hear from Marcel, who found it difficult to get social housing when he first came out. Heidi tells Zak and Jules where people can go to find support and does some myth-busting around what it means to have ‘priority need’ status or a local connection.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful organisations:

• Shelter
• Crisis
• St Mungo’s
• Housing For Women
• NACRO
• Framework
• Langley House Trust
• Recycling Lives
• St Giles Trust
• Change Grow Live

Contact us:

If you’ve heard something today that’s made you think differently about disclosing your conviction, let us know.

💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and Twitter

📧 Email us: [email protected]

✉️ 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.