Life After Prison

This week Zak and Jules welcome lifelong chef Nathaniel Mortley AKA Natty Can Cook to the Life After Prison couch. Natty shares his experiences of working in some of London’s most high-end restaurants and how the environment there contributed to him going to prison. He also speaks about how seeing people excel while he was inside inspired him to start planning his future for when he was released. Now that he’s out, he is on an incredible journey to take Caribbean cuisine to the heights of the culinary world.

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

Useful organisations:  

• Social Pantry (London) – A catering company with a mission to employ and train ex-offenders in the culinary arts. They offer structured, supportive job placements for people with a criminal record, helping them build valuable skills and establish a work history in catering and hospitality. https://socialpantry.co.uk/
• Fat Macy's (London) – A social enterprise that provides training in cooking and event catering for people living in temporary housing or hostels, including those with past criminal records. They give participants culinary experience and help them save towards long-term housing. https://www.fatmacys.org/
• Sixteen Community Café (Bristol) – Part of the charity Second Step, this community café provides training and support for people with mental health issues or a criminal background. They offer a safe, supportive space for participants to gain experience in a working kitchen and hospitality. https://www.16cafe.co.uk/
• Social Bite (Edinburgh and Glasgow) – This social enterprise tackles homelessness by offering job opportunities and training in their cafes. They employ people with previous convictions or homelessness, helping them gain experience in food preparation and service in a welcoming environment. https://www.social-bite.co.uk/
• Freedom Bakery (Glasgow) – This artisanal bakery works with individuals in and leaving prison, offering training in baking and an opportunity to work in a structured, supportive environment. They focus on building employable skills and have strong connections within the hospitality industry for job placement. https://www.freedombakery.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/ 

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Life After Prison will be back with you soon but while we are finalising series 8 in the studio, we thought that we'd share some episodes of another podcast here. It’s called Hold or Fold and is made by our colleagues at the Prison Radio Association.

'Hold or Fold' explores gambling harm with an emphasis on the criminal justice system, your hosts Ben & Steve have both served time in prison as a direct result of their gambling.

In this episode we’re looking at betting shops and the role they play in the wider gambling culture. Ben & Steve let us know if betting shops played a part within their own journeys and we hear from two people who were impacted by betting shops for very different reasons…

David lost a large amount in a betting shop and fell into a cycle of robbing them, to claim ‘revenge’ - He ended up serving a 10 year prison sentence as a result of this. Meanwhile, Lady Unchained experienced this from the other side of the counter, working in a well-known betting shop for 5 years.

USEFUL LINKS:

• David’s Channel 4 Documentary
• David’s YouTube channel
• Lady Unchained
• Reframe Coaching 
• Gamcare
• Gordon Moody 
• Gamfam
• Gamlearn
• Bet Know More
• Breakeven
• Epic Global Solutions
• Gambler’s Anonymous

Call the National Gambling helpline, for free, on 0808 8020 133

If you would like to get in touch with Hold or Fold and ask us a question, suggest a topic or start a conversation, you can E-mail us at...

📧: [email protected]

💬 DM us: @holdorfoldpod on Instagram & Twitter (X) 

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

This episode is hosted by...

Ben Jones & Steve Girling

You can find out more about the work of the 'Prison Radio Association' and 'National Prison Radio' here:

https://prison.radio/

Thanks to GambleAware for the support

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

Life After Prison will be back with you soon but while we are finalising series 8 in the studio, we thought that we'd share some episodes of another podcast here. It’s called Hold or Fold and is made by our colleagues at the Prison Radio Association.

'Hold or Fold' explores gambling harm with an emphasis on the criminal justice system, your hosts Ben & Steve have both served time in prison as a direct result of their gambling. In this first episode they are introducing themselves to you, a brand new audience.

They candidly share what got them into gambling, how it escalated and why this led to a prison sentence. What was that first night in prison like? How did they cope? And how were they able to turn their adversity into a positive?

Plus, Ben & Steve will be taking their first listener question in ‘Cards On the Table’ - We’d love to hear your questions too. To do this, use the links below.

USEFUL LINKS:

• Reframe Coaching
• Gamcare
• GambleAware
• Gambler’s Anonymous
• Breakeven
• Gamfam
• Gamlearn

Call the National Gambling helpline, for free, on 0808 8020 133

If you would like to get in touch with Hold or Fold and ask us a question, suggest a topic or start a conversation, you can E-mail us at...

📧: [email protected]

💬 DM us: @holdorfoldpod on Instagram & Twitter (X) 

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

This episode is hosted by...

Ben Jones & Steve Girling

...And is funded by 'Gambleaware'

You can find out more about the work of the 'Prison Radio Association' and 'National Prison Radio' here:

https://prison.radio/

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

In this episode Jules chats to Charlotte, who after years of self-harm, admissions to psychiatric hospitals, and a period of time in prison, is now in a really happy place. Charlotte has big ambitions for her future, and wants to be that support for others that she needed when she was younger, and she’s well on her way to achieving her goal. 

Useful links and organisations: 

Working Chance: https://workingchance.org/ 

Girls Get Social: https://www.instagram.com/girls.get.social/  

Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/  

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

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

Zak and Jules discuss dealing with the fear of the unknown and how this affected them when leaving prison. They also hear from people inside about some of the hobbies they’ve developed to help pass the time, and the small privileges they now recognise that they’re missing out on. 

Useful organisations:

Mental Health and Emotional Support

Mind (Nationwide) – Offers mental health resources, advice, and support

https://mind.org.uk

Samaritans (Nationwide) – Provides a listening ear for anyone struggling or feeling overwhelmed.

https://samaritans.org

Second Step (Bristol and South West) – Provides mental health support and housing assistance.

https://second-step.co.uk

Housing and Homelessness

Shelter (Nationwide) – Offers housing advice and support.

https://shelter.org.uk

The Wallich (Wales) – Provides housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness.

https://thewallich.com

Crisis (Nationwide) – Assists individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of it after release.

https://crisis.org.uk

St Petrocs (Cornwall) – Supports individuals at risk of homelessness, including those recently released from prison.

https://www.stpetrocs.org.uk/

YMCA Derbyshire (Midlands) – Provides supported housing and life skills programs for ex-offenders.

https://ymcaderbyshire.org.uk

Employment and Training

St. Giles Trust (Nationwide) – Supports people transitioning out of prison, including help with employment.

https://stgilestrust.org.uk

Tempus Novo (Yorkshire) – Connects ex-offenders with employers and provides mentoring support.

https://tempusnovo.org

Northern Learning Trust (North East) – Offers education and mentoring for individuals in the criminal justice system.

https://northernlearningtrust.org.uk

Bounce Back (Nationwide) – Helps individuals leaving prison gain training and employment in construction.

https://www.bouncebackproject.com/

Mentoring and Personal Development

Spark2Life (London)– Offers mentoring and personal development for people navigating life after prison.

https://spark2life.co.uk

The Forward Trust (Nationwide) – Provides life coaching, addiction recovery, and reintegration programs.

https://forwardtrust.org.uk

The Footprints Project (Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight) – Provides mentoring and support for reintegration after prison.

https://www.footprintsproject.co.uk/

Sacro (Scotland) – Offers mentoring and restorative justice services for reintegration.

https://sacro.org.uk

Legal and Advocacy Support

Unlock (Nationwide) – Provides advice on dealing with criminal records and rights post-prison.

https://unlock.org.uk

The Howard League for Penal Reform (Nationwide) – Campaigns for improvements in prison conditions and post-release support.

https://howardleague.org

Changing Lives (North East & Yorkshire) – Offers creative programs alongside housing, addiction recovery, and employment services.

https://changing-lives.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.

In this episode Jules chats to Scout, a poet, writer and broadcaster. Scout, who ended up in prison after experiencing a manic state of psychosis, explores themes of mental health, prison and sobriety in her work. She talks to Jules about rediscovering her ability to write, turning to faith in prison and learning to like yourself. 

The full version of this episode can be found wherever you get your podcasts: (link) 

Useful links and organisations: 

National Prison Radio: https://prison.radio/national-prison-radio/  

The Mad Art of Doing Time: https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/scout-tzofiya-bolton-the-mad-art-of-doing-time  

Scout’s Guardian article (link to follow in January) 

The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00223pb  

Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.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. 

💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok 

📧 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.

Zak and Jules meet Abdul Bangura. Abdul has served three prison sentences. He is now a successful entrepreneur running his own aviation business. Abdul talks to Zak and Jules about how a chance meeting with his mentor in prison set him on a path to see his own potential. 

Useful organisations:  

The Alac Group – Abdul Bangura’s aviation Company 

https://thealacgroup.co.uk/about 

Power The Fight – a charity that empowers local communities to end youth violence 

https://www.powerthefight.org.uk/ 

School For Social Entrepreneurs – Supporting people ignite change in their communities 

https://www.the-sse.org/ 

Social Ark (East London) – Social Ark is a charity supporting young people from under-resourced communities, including ex-offenders, to create social enterprises or community-focused businesses.  

https://www.socialark.co.uk/  

The Open University – Business and Entrepreneurship Courses (Nationwide) – The Open University offers a wide range of courses in business, management, and entrepreneurship, with many open to those with justice system involvement. 

https://www.open.ac.uk/  

The King’s Trust (Nationwide) – The King’s Trust offers a range of programs to support young people, including ex-offenders, in starting their own businesses. 

https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/  

The Longford Trust (Nationwide) – The Longford Trust offers mentoring and scholarships to prisoners and ex-offenders pursuing higher education. 

https://www.longfordtrust.org/  

Tempus Novo (Leeds) – Tempus Novo works with ex-offenders to secure stable employment, particularly focusing on the transition to self-employment or business ownership for those who want to pursue an entrepreneurial path. 

https://www.tempusnovo.org/  

Changing Lives (North East and Midlands) – Changing Lives provides support for those coming out of prison, including pathways to entrepreneurship and self-employment through vocational training. 

https://www.changing-lives.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.

In this episode Jules is joined by trainee barrister Kiri, whose dreams of a legal career were shaped when she was remanded in prison under joint enterprise law. Kiri tells Jules about the abusive relationship that caused her downward spiral, and the hard work that’s got her where she is today. Together they talk about the power of lived experience, being on the other side of criminal justice system, and getting more women into law. 

The full version of this episode can be found wherever you get your podcasts: (link)  

Useful organisations: 

Inside Justice https://www.insidejustice.co.uk/  

Criminal Justice Alliance https://www.criminaljusticealliance.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. 

💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok 

📧 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.

Zak and Jules explore what it takes to start and manage a business after prison, sharing their own journeys and lessons learned. They discuss building confidence, taking opportunities, and how businesses can open unexpected doors.

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

Useful organisations:  

Social Ark (East London) – Social Ark is a charity supporting young people from under-resourced communities, including ex-offenders, to create social enterprises or community-focused businesses.  

https://www.socialark.co.uk/  

The Open University – Business and Entrepreneurship Courses (Nationwide) – The Open University offers a wide range of courses in business, management, and entrepreneurship, with many open to those with justice system involvement. 

https://www.open.ac.uk/  

The King’s Trust (Nationwide) – The King’s Trust offers a range of programs to support young people, including ex-offenders, in starting their own businesses. 

https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/  

The Longford Trust (Nationwide) – The Longford Trust offers mentoring and scholarships to prisoners and ex-offenders pursuing higher education. 

https://www.longfordtrust.org/  

Tempus Novo (Leeds) – Tempus Novo works with ex-offenders to secure stable employment, particularly focusing on the transition to self-employment or business ownership for those who want to pursue an entrepreneurial path. 

https://www.tempusnovo.org/  

Changing Lives (North East and Midlands) – Changing Lives provides support for those coming out of prison, including pathways to entrepreneurship and self-employment through vocational training. 

https://www.changing-lives.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.

In this episode Jules sits down with rapper, OneDa. Hot off the launch of her debut album, OneDa explains how she broke into the music industry. She also talks to Jules about experiencing the criminal justice system in her youth, her female rap collective HerChester, and the power of bringing others up with you. 

Our listeners are the most important part of Life After Prison and we want to hear from you! Your feedback is really important as it lets our funders know what you think of the project, and helps make sure they continue to support Life After Prison. 

 So it would be a massive help if you could fill out this form and let us know what you think. Thank you so much! 

OneDa’s headline tour starts on the 31st January 2025. 

Useful organisations: 

OneDa: https://formulaoneda.com/ 

HerChester: https://www.instagram.com/herchester/ 

Cultural Fusion: https://www.culturalfusion.co.uk/  

Studio 88: https://www.studio88mcr.co.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. 

💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok 

📧 Email us: [email protected] 

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

🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/  📢 Complete our survey: https://forms.gle/1bi9vWKqBf2QSCTT6   

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