Life After Prison

This week we are joined by author and poet Will Pendray. His debut poetry collection Overgrown contains extracts from throughout his sentence, where he would use poetry to work through the things he was dealing with. Whilst serving his sentence, Will began studying at Open University and would go on to complete an MA in Creative Writing. He now uses poetry to inspire change, returning to prisons and communities to share his work and story. 

Useful Organisations 

• Safe Ground – Use storytelling, creative writing, and the arts in prisons to help people reflect, build identity, and support rehabilitation. 

• Clean Break – They use theatre, writing, and storytelling to empower women affected by the criminal justice system, helping them express their experiences and build new opportunities. 
• Longford trust - Supports people with convictions to access higher education while in prison and after release. Provides scholarships, mentoring, and employability support to help individuals build brighter futures and reduce reoffending. 
• National literacy trust - a UK charity dedicated to improving reading, writing, speaking and listening skills among children and young people. It works with schools, communities and businesses to tackle literacy inequality and help disadvantaged pupils reach their full potential. 
• Unbarred Press - an independent UK publisher that showcases writing and artwork created by people in prison and after release. It provides a platform for underrepresented voices, helping writers gain recognition, confidence and opportunities beyond the criminal justice system. 

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 speaker and author Charlie-Sam Newman, whose mission is simple, ‘To help people unlock their true potential’. From a very young age Charlie had experienced traumas that would shape her adolescence. After seeking safety at a women’s refuge at the age of 3, years would follow where safety and stability were rare, and violence and abuse were often close by. Following years within the care system, she would find herself at the centre of a drugs conspiracy, facing a possible 14-year prison sentence. But a lot has changed since then and today she no longer lives in silence, using her story to inspire, mentor and empower others to unlock their true potential.

Useful organisations: 

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. 

Create Future Opportunities – they support people on their rehabilitation journey and run fantastic activity hubs where community is built and futures can take shape. 

Support to Soar  Focused on empowering individuals and organisations to reach their true potential. We create change that lasts by opening doors for those who’ve been overlooked and building inclusive teams that drive business growth and social good. 

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.

Today on the couch, we’re joined by someone whose story goes beyond music. A respected voice in UK rap for over 20 years, he’s starred in Top Boy and worked with Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen. He’s been through the criminal justice system and come out the other side, using his voice to reflect, rebuild, and speak the truth. Since returning, his consistency and talent have earned him the 2025 MOBO Award for Best Grime Act. This conversation isn’t just about bars or fame – it’s about accountability, growth, and what life really looks like after prison.

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

Useful organisations: 

• Changing Tunes – Uses the power of music‑making to support people in prison, young offenders and those post‑release. 
• Key 4 Life – Work with young people at risk of offending or reoffending, using education, mentoring, and employment support to help them build positive futures.

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 episode is a bit different – because we’re inside HMP Brixton, recording in front of a live audience of the men who live here. And we’re joined by the Governor of Brixton herself. Usually, we hear stories from people with lived experience, but today we’re exploring things from the other side: why she wanted this role, what it was like stepping into Brixton, and what day-to-day life looks like as a governor. 

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.

Complete our 2025 Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/smJxoWJhr66qKG4Q7

We’d love to hear from you! Every year, we ask the Life After Prison audience to complete a short survey. Your answers help us understand what’s working, what we can improve, and they also help us show our funders the real impact of the show. It only takes a few minutes and your feedback really does make a difference.

Today, we’re joined by Karen Howell-Ball – a lived-experience speaker whose journey is one of real transformation. After serving time at Askham Grange Prison, Karen rebuilt her life from the ground up. She’s now using her experiences of abuse, trauma and criminal exploitation to help others break free from those same cycles. In this episode, we’ll hear how Karen turned her pain into purpose, what life after prison looked like for her, and how she’s now empowering young people and women to find hope and success beyond the justice system.

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

Useful organisations:

Advance – Support for women affected by the criminal justice system, domestic abuse, and trauma. They run women’s centres across London and help with housing, employment, and wellbeing. 

https://www.advancecharity.org.uk 

Women in Prison – Advocacy and support for women in the justice system. They focus on helping women rebuild their lives after release and campaign for reform. 

https://www.womeninprison.org.uk 

Refuge – The UK’s largest domestic abuse organisation offering safe accommodation, a 24-hour helpline, and online support. 

https://www.refuge.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.

Complete our 2025 Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/smJxoWJhr66qKG4Q7

We’d love to hear from you! Every year, we ask the Life After Prison audience to complete a short survey. Your answers help us understand what’s working, what we can improve, and they also help us show our funders the real impact of the show. It only takes a few minutes and your feedback really does make a difference.

Today, we’re joined by Marc Conway. Marc’s story is remarkable: from serving his first sentence at 15 and spending years on an IPP - a sentence with no set release date - to turning his life around inside prison, working in therapeutic and reform-focused environments, and now advocating for change to help others trapped by the system. We discuss his journey through prison, what life is really like on licence, and the work he’s doing now to shine a light on the IPP system and inspire hope for others still serving.

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

Useful Organisations:

• UNGRIPP - Campaigns on behalf of prisoners and ex-prisoners serving the Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection (IPP) in England and Wales.

• Prison Reform Trust - a UK charity that works independently to create a fairer, more humane, and effective justice system by researching, advising, and campaigning for prison and sentencing reform. 

• Kestrel Theatre Company - Create and deliver interactive performances and workshops, often using drama to support education, community engagement, and social change.

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.

Complete our 2025 Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/smJxoWJhr66qKG4Q7

We’d love to hear from you! Every year, we ask the Life After Prison audience to complete a short survey. Your answers help us understand what’s working, what we can improve, and they also help us show our funders the real impact of the show. It only takes a few minutes and your feedback really does make a difference.

Today, we’re joined by Jon Watts – better known to many as Chef Jon. Jon’s story is incredible: from serving time in a young offenders’ institute, where he became the first prisoner to complete all three levels of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, to working with Jamie Oliver (while still in prison), writing a Sunday Times bestselling cookbook, and appearing on national TV. We discuss his journey through prison, how cooking became a lifeline, and the work he’s doing now to inspire others leaving the system. 

Useful Organisations:

• Clink Charity - A charity reduces reoffending by training and rehabilitating prisoners through real-work experience in its restaurants, cafés, and gardens to help them build skills and employment opportunities after release. 

• Liberty Kitchen - A social enterprise that supports ex-offenders by providing culinary training and employment opportunities through its street food and catering projects, helping people rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending. 

• Food Behind Bars – Food education in prisons – improving food quality, cooking skills, growth and wellbeing 

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.

Complete our 2025 Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/smJxoWJhr66qKG4Q7

We’d love to hear from you! Every year, we ask the Life After Prison audience to complete a short survey. Your answers help us understand what’s working, what we can improve, and they also help us show our funders the real impact of the show. It only takes a few minutes and your feedback really does make a difference.

In this brand new series, Cellmate to CEO, Tony Supreme, CEO of Soul Surge Wellness, who has lived experience of the criminal justice system himself, talks to other CEO’s, leaders and changemakers about their transition from prison to leadership.

In this episode Tony talks to Paula Harriott, the CEO of Unlock, a national advocacy charity supporting people with criminal records. Paula shares her inspiring journey from prison to CEO, discussing the obstacles she faced and how she overcame them one step at a time. They talk about the importance of patience, the power of support networks, and the necessity of self-reflection and transformation.

Useful organisations: 

• Unlock- Information & advocacy charity for problems caused by criminal records.
• User Voice- Supporting and developing leaders with lived experience of the justice system who meaningfully contribute to the reshaping of prisons and probation services
• Revolving Doors - Championing long-term solutions for justice reform that tackle the root causes of repeat, low-level crime and support people's journeys towards better lives.
• The Prison Reform Trust - An independent UK charity working to create a just, humane and effective penal system.
• Warrior Down - From meetings and workshops to wellness activities and peer support gatherings, this calendar is designed to help you stay connected on your recovery journey.
• Red Rose Recovery - Creating opportunities for people affected by drug and alcohol addiction, substance misuse, dual diagnosis and offending behaviours.
• Community Led Initiatives - Delivering a range of programmes including one-to-one mentoring and peer support for people on probation in Greater Manchester to drug and alcohol addiction

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.

Complete our 2025 Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/smJxoWJhr66qKG4Q7

We’d love to hear from you! Every year, we ask the Life After Prison audience to complete a short survey. Your answers help us understand what’s working, what we can improve, and they also help us show our funders the real impact of the show. It only takes a few minutes and your feedback really does make a difference.

In this brand new series, Cellmate to CEO, Tony Supreme, CEO of Soul Surge Wellness, who has lived experience of the criminal justice system himself, talks to other CEO’s, leaders and changemakers about their transition from prison to leadership.

In this episode Tony interviews Christian O'Reilly, the founder and CEO of Fire and Ice, a premium wedding photography and videography business. Christian shares his transformative journey from spending two years in prison to becoming a highly sought after wedding photographer for high-profile clients worldwide. He discusses the challenges he faced, the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people, and the drive and passion that fueled his success.

Useful organisations: 

Fire and Ice Photography- UK & destination Wedding photography & CInematography

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.

Complete our 2025 Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/smJxoWJhr66qKG4Q7

We’d love to hear from you! Every year, we ask the Life After Prison audience to complete a short survey. Your answers help us understand what’s working, what we can improve, and they also help us show our funders the real impact of the show. It only takes a few minutes and your feedback really does make a difference.

In this brand new series, Cellmate to CEO, Tony Supreme, CEO of Soul Surge Wellness, who has lived experience of the criminal justice system himself, talks to other CEO’s, leaders and changemakers about their transition from prison to leadership.

In this episode Tony, CEO of Soul Surge Wellness, interviews Dan Whyte, co-director of DWRM (Doing What Really Matters). Tony and Dan discuss the obstacles Dan faced while transitioning from 20 years in prison to leadership, particularly how he and his business partner created their business plan and theory of change document through phone and post while Dan was still serving his sentence. The conversation highlights the challenges of starting a business from prison, the value of education, and the importance of determination and passion.

Useful organisations: 

• DWRM- Doing What Really Matters- Empowering People through Education, Employability and Engagement to Create Cultures of Acceptance.
• Coracle- We believe that digital skills open up new opportunities. We want to help every prisoner increase their digital know-how and improve their life chances.
• Open University- Learn and Live
• Prisoners Education Trust- we work to transform prisoners’ lives through learning and use our research and expertise to improve prison education.

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.