Life After Prison

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 chats with Gina, CEO of Gina’s, a restaurant and catering business in Tottenham. They chat about Gina’s first steps into running a business, when she set up a flower stall outside Holloway Prison while still serving her prison sentence. Gina talks about the incredible support she’s received from The King’s Trust, and how the hard work and determination she’s put into her business has not only provided for her and her family, but also created jobs and positive change within her community.

Useful organisations:

• The King’s Trust- The King's Trust helps people aged 11 to 30 to build confidence, get a job or launch a business.
• Prison Radio Association- The Prison Radio Association uses sound to change lives.
• Gina’s- A succulent fusion of African, Caribbean, and English cuisine laced with a touch of home using fresh and natural ingredients

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 on Life After Prison we're joined by Big Stygs – an artist, entrepreneur, and community leader from Birmingham who’s turned his life around in a big way. From serving time in A-cat prisons and going viral inside, to now running multiple businesses and building a community hub to help others – this is a story about resilience, creativity, and proving you can always rewrite your future. 

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

Useful Organisations

• Key4Life – uses music, sport, and mentoring to help young men leaving prison find purpose and employment. 
• The Irene Taylor Trust – Music in Prisons – delivers music-making projects inside and post-release, helping people use creativity for change. 
• Bounce Back – trains people in trades like painting, decorating, scaffolding, and helps them into work 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.

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’s guest on the Life After Prison couch is Chris Baker. Growing up around crime, with his dad in and out of prison, Chris got pulled into that life too. A motorcycle accident during a police chase cost him his arm, and he later served a 10-year sentence. Today, Chris is an actor and motivational speaker working with schools and prisons, sharing his story to inspire others and show young people how Adverse Childhood Experiences can shape behaviour—and how to make better choices for the future. 

Useful organisations:

Koestler Arts - The Koestler Awards is an annual programme encouraging people from the UK's criminal justice system to change their lives through the arts.

https://koestlerarts.org.uk/

Aspire2Change - An organisation that works with young people and adults at risk of offending or reoffending, offering mentoring, education, and skills training. Their focus is on building confidence, resilience, and opportunities to support positive life choices and reduce involvement in crime.

Spark Inside – A charity that uses coaching in prisons to inspire rehabilitation and personal growth among young people. 

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 Sabrina – a survivor of exploitation, former county lines drug worker, and now founder of SH Consultancy & Training. Sabrina turned her own experiences of abuse and the criminal justice system into a mission to protect and educate at-risk young people. We discuss her journey through childhood trauma, prison, and life after release, and how she’s using her lived experience to make a real difference. 

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.

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

Project Accountability – Founded by Molly Ellis and Ty Mitchell, this organization focuses on reducing recidivism and supporting ex-offenders and vulnerable youth through vocational training, employment opportunities, and rehabilitation programs.

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.

From military ambitions to addiction and prison, David Haze has lived through some of life’s toughest challenges. But since his release, he’s transformed his path – breaking paddleboarding world records, championing rehabilitation, and becoming a respected voice for change in the justice system. David’s journey is about more than redemption – it’s about resilience, responsibility, and showing that it’s possible to rebuild with purpose. 

This episode discusses sensitive themes that may be upsetting for some viewers, including mental health struggles and personal trauma. If you are affected by anything in this content, please consider reaching out for support. In the UK, Samaritans are available 24/7 at 116 123 or samaritans.org

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.

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

Useful Organisations

• AquaPaddle – AquaPaddle is a UK charity dedicated to enhancing mental well-being and physical health through paddle sports. They offer free, timed 5km paddle events suitable for all abilities, fostering community and promoting "BlueSpace" activities that connect people with nature. 

• Samaritans - A charity that provides confidential, non-judgmental emotional support to anyone struggling, especially those in distress or at risk of suicide.

• The Red Foundation – The Red Foundation supports water-based initiatives focused on mental well-being and environmental protection. Their "Blue Health" and "Access for All" programs champion inclusivity in paddleboarding and other water sports, aiming to make these activities accessible to all, regardless of background or ability. 

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 chats with Jason Frost, who transformed from a gym orderly inside prison to the founder of Fit Box, with multiple gyms and hundreds of clients. Jason shares his journey through addiction, PTSD, and the stigma of a criminal record, to becoming a successful CEO. He highlights the importance of staying focused, being reliable, and how fitness helped with his own mental health.

Useful organisations:

The Fit Box Group- Gyms and Fitness Centres in Brighton and Hove

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 chats to Mandy Ogunmokun, the founder and CEO of Treasures Foundation. Mandy shares her inspiring journey from addiction and the revolving doors of prison, to founding a trauma-informed recovery charity for women. Mandy talks about the power of faith, personal growth, and the importance of having supportive people around you.

Useful organisations: 

• Treasures Foundation- Providing safe accommodation in East London and specialist outreach support to women with histories of addiction, mental health, trauma and experience of the criminal justice system.
• Samaritans- Whatever you're going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. We're here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• UKNA- We are Narcotics Anonymous in the United Kingdom & Channel Islands. If you have a problem with drugs, we are recovering drug addicts who can help you get and stay clean.

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 chats to the CEO of Offploy, Jacob Hill. Jacob talks about the ups and downs of his life so far, as the son of two retired police officers, and former ‘Yorkshire’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year’. Jacob talks to Tony about the path that led him to serving a prison sentence, and how drive, passion, hard work, and not shying away from asking for help, put him on the path to leadership.

Useful organisations:

• Offploy- Offploy is a social enterprise formed by ex-prisoners to help those with convictions secure employment and lead a positive life.
• Rift Social Enterprise- providing self-employment and HMRC-related advice, training and support to marginalised people in the UK.
• National Careers Service- Inspiring people to thrive.

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 chats to Life After Prison’s very own Zak. They discuss Zak’s multiple run-ins with the law which started as a teenager, and subsequent prison sentences. Zak shares the changes he made during his third and final sentence, difficulty finding work after prison, and his progression into leadership and starting his own organisation, X Conversation. 

Useful organisations: 

• X Conversation- At Xconversation our belief in rehabilitation and the power to change guides everything we do and the decisions we make! 
• Social Ark- Social Ark empowers talented and resilient young people to use their lived experiences to create innovative social enterprises that address the issues they care about. 
• Prison Radio Association- The Prison Radio Association uses sound to change lives. 

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.

This week on Life After Prison:

It's the final episode of our four part mini-series and we’re bringing back our experts: Roland Karthaus, the architect exploring how prison design can support rehabilitation; Jenny Okolo, occupational therapist looking at daily life and neurodiversity inside prison; and Dr Graham Durcan, a researcher at the Centre for Mental Health. 

We asked them to look ahead: What current projects give them hope for the future of rehabilitation? And if rehabilitation was really at the heart of the system, what could prisons look like in the years to come? 

Useful Organisations:

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.

https://www.spark2life.co.uk/

Working Chance (London) – They help women secure sustainable employment by offering workshops, career coaching, and job placement services, aiming to challenge stigma and foster inclusion.

http://www.workingchance.org

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.