Life After Prison

Today’s guest has a story like no other. Growing up in the 70s, facing racism and rejection, he soon became involved in organised crime and serving years inside. 

After decades trapped in a cycle of crime and prison, everything changed during his final sentence, when a theatre company cast him in a production that would completely transform the direction of his life.  

Now 20 years on, he’s remained crime free, using creativity, storytelling, and lived experience to inspire others and encourage change both inside and outside the prison system. 

Orginsations

• Synegry Theatre - work with people affected by the criminal justice system, using theatre and the arts to support rehabilitation, build skills, and create pathways into education and employment. They delivers workshops, training, and professional productions both in prisons and in the community. 

• Prison reform trust ‘Building Futures program’ - supporting people serving long prison sentences by giving them a voice in shaping prison policy and rehabilitation. The project focuses on leadership, hope, self-advocacy, and preparing people for life beyond prison. 

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

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.

On this episode of Life After Prison, we explore a story that doesn’t follow a straight line — because real change rarely does. 

Donell, a successful contractor & former prisoner, shares the highs, setbacks, and hard truths of life after release, while Jeffrey, a prison coach, reflects on the turning point that changed his own path and led him to work with young people in custody. 

The two met at Cookham Wood, where honest, in-depth coaching built a powerful connection — one that was tested by setbacks, including a return to prison and homelessness. 

They reflect on what changed the second time around, and why some people break the cycle while others don’t. 

This episode of Life After Prison accompanies the launch of a short film from Spark Inside focused on Donell's remarkable journey.

Watch here: https://www.sparkinside.org/news/donells-story-how-coaching-unlocked-his-hero-within-5

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

Useful Organisations: 

• Kings Trust – support young people to get into work, education, or training, especially those facing disadvantages or barriers like unemployment or a history with the justice system. Offering mentoring, courses, and funding to help build confidence and create new opportunities. 

• 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.

Today’s guest is the definition of transformation. At the age of 11 he was groomed into county lines, by 12 he was regularly carrying firearms and by 15 he’d already seen the inside of a prison cell. The following years were a mix of serving time as a teenager, along with physical and mental trauma.

Once labelled a criminal, he’s now recognised as a survivor of child criminal exploitation and modern slavery, becoming one of the voices leading the change. You can find him speaking in Parliament, contributing at the United Nations, and influencing national policy on exploitation and justice.

Useful Organisations:

Open University - offers flexible, distance learning courses that can be studied in prison or after release, helping people continue their education and build new career paths.

Mind - provide advice, support, and services for people experiencing mental health challenges. It offers helplines, local services, and resources to help individuals understand their mental health and access the right support.

Unique Talent - Our mission is to break the cycle of offending, gang involvement, and serious youth violence by providing mentorship, education, and life-changing opportunities.

https://uniquetalent.org.uk/

Human Trafficking Foundation - Bring together statutory and non-statutory organisations working to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery, sharing knowledge to support informed and effective action.

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

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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 on Life After Prison, we’re joined by filmmaker Daisy-May Hudson.  

In 2013, Daisy-May was living in a hostel with her mum and sister — a reality she didn’t fully recognise as homelessness at the time.  

At that young age she decided to pick up a camera and document it, a decision that would change everything. Her story went viral, leading to her documentary Halfway, which she crowdfunded and took to cinemas.  

Now a BAFTA Breakthrough talent, her work — including feature film Lollipop — focuses on storytelling, healing, and lived experience, particularly around prison and homelessness. 

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

Organisations: 

• Clean Break - Support women affected by the criminal justice system through training and performance, helping them build confidence and pathways into creative industries. 
• Reclaim The Frame - Directly support women into film through development programmes, training, and showcasing work by women directors. 
• Daddyless Daughters - support girls and young women who have been affected by family breakdown, abuse and adversity across London between the age of 14 - 30 years old. Supporting them to go on to build and sustain healthy relationships and lifestyles in aid of preventing criminal and sexual exploitation. 
• Birth Companions – Provides support for pregnant women and mothers in prison, including help with resettlement and parenting.
• Petition for the Holloway Centre - https://levelup.movement-action.org/p/islington-council-finish-holloway-womens-centre
• Daisy-May's first feature film Lollipop - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002pvjy

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.

A few series back we looked at some of the comments that people had left on our social media. We responded to comments tackling the stigma of having been to prison and cleared up a few myths about what life is really like inside. Those episodes were interesting to say the least! Today we’re going for it again, responding to the comments from our conversations with a few guests last series.

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

Useful Organisations 

Refuge (National) – Offers emergency accommodation and support for women escaping domestic abuse.

Abianda (London) – Supports young women affected by gangs through tailored mentorship and advocacy. 

Radical Recruit - Help people with barriers to work secure employment and regain control of their futures. Aiding them access to fair opportunities and meaningful work. 

Disclosure Calculator - https://unlock.org.uk/disclosure-calculator/

The Orphan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5VYaTepAQA 

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.

This week's guests is someone whose football journey has been anything but ordinary. From coming through the ranks at Arsenal FC, one of the most prestigious academies in the country—to playing across England and abroad, our guest today has built a career that many young players dream of. Known for his strength, technical ability, and versatility on the pitch, he was once seen as one of the brightest prospects of his generation. Representing England at youth level and sharing dressing rooms with some of the game’s biggest names. However, behind the headlines and highlights, there’s a deeper story that goes far beyond football. This is a conversation about resilience, reflection, and redefining purpose.

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

Useful Organisations: 

3 pillars project - Mentor and support people in custody and after release, helping them build discipline, confidence, and pathways into education and employment. 

Key 4 Life - Work with young men at risk of reoffending, using sport and mentoring to develop life skills, improve wellbeing, and support them into work and a more stable 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.

At the end of last year the Labour government introduced the Courts and Tribunals Bill. In this bill, the government are proposing to reduce the use of juries and have some criminal cases decided by a judge alone. Some very big changes. This week we unpack key parts of this bill, and look at the implications it will have IF it is passed. 

The Lammy Review - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/lammy-review

Prison Reform Trust - Works to create a fairer and more effective criminal justice system, focusing on improving conditions in prisons and reducing unnecessary imprisonment. They conducts research, influences policy, and advocates for reforms that support rehabilitation and reduce reoffending.

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

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.

This week we’re joined by Glodi Wabelua. From a young age he struggled to fit in at school and soon found himself deep into a life of crime. The years that followed were a mix of prison sentences and life threatening injuries. Each experience leaving its mark and shaping who he was. 

In 2019, he stood trial in a landmark case, as the first person in the UK to be convicted of human trafficking under the Modern Slavery Act. 

Today he uses his story to educate and mentor young people, to avoid the paths that he walked and change the narratives placed on them. 

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

Useful Organisations 

• New Horizon Youth Centre is a London-based charity supporting young people aged 16–24 who are experiencing homelessness or unsafe housing. It provides advice, advocacy, mental health support and practical services to help young people move towards stability and independence. 

• The Ben Kinsella Trust (London)– Works on preventing youth violence and supporting those at risk of gang involvement. 

• XO Bikes (London) - Trains and employ bicycle mechanics, providing prison-based training and post-release work opportunities to reduce reoffending and support community reintegration. 

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.

This week we’re joined by Nick Hadris. Nick’s story is one of resilience, reflection, and using personal experience to help others move forward. 

After spending time in prison, Nick faced the challenge of rebuilding his life and finding a new direction. Since then, he’s worked tremendously hard to turn that experience into something positive - supporting others who are coming through the system and trying to rebuild their own lives. 

More recently, Nick completed a 250 mile bike ride fundraiser inspired by the memory of a close friend, raising awareness and showing the power of community and purpose after prison. 

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

Organisations

RAW Talent programme - A programme by COOK Trading Ltd that supports people facing barriers to employment, including those leaving prison, into paid work. It focuses on potential over experience, offering training, support and pathways into permanent jobs. Speak to your probation officer or support worker to receive a referral.

www.cookfood.net

Bounce Back – trains people in trades like painting, decorating, scaffolding, and helps them into work after release.

Spark2Life (London) – Offers mentoring and workshops to help young people and adults make positive life changes, often led by individuals with lived experience of the criminal justice system.

Mind (UK-wide) – Provides support and advice for anyone experiencing a mental health problem. 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.

💬 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.

This week we’re joined by Rhia a mother, a widow, and a woman who has transformed deep adversity into a driving force for change. In the aftermath of her partners death, her life took a turn, and she would soon become involved in drug activities, resulting in a 2-year prison sentence. Having personally experienced the justice system from both sides, she now dedicates her time to helping women rise beyond trauma and rebuild their lives through her organisation Fly Girl Foundation. 

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

Organisations:

• Fly Girl Foundation - Empower women and girls affected by trauma and the criminal justice system. Creating safe spaces, mentoring and creative programmes to support healing, confidence and positive life change 

• Daddyless Daughters - Support girls and young women who have been affected by family breakdown, abuse and adversity across London between the age of 14 - 30 years old. 

• The Triangle Trust - Fund small and medium-sized organisations working within the criminal justice system. Focusing particularly on projects that support people with convictions — including women and young people — to reduce reoffending and improve rehabilitation outcomes. 

• Working Chance (National) – Helps women with convictions get back into employment. 

• The Shannon Trust - Helps people in prison and after release to improve reading and communication skills through peer-led learning. 

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.