What happens when you want to go to prison… and the system never lets you leave?

In this powerful episode of Hope in Hell, Ricky tells the unfiltered story of growing up surrounded by violence, being drawn into crime from childhood, and receiving an IP(Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentence that changed his life forever.

Raised in the North East, Ricky was exposed to prison culture before he was even a teenager. Violence felt normal. Prison felt inevitable. What he didn’t expect was an indefinite sentence that would follow him long after release, through strict licence conditions, recalls, mental health struggles, and the constant fear of being sent back inside.

Ricky speaks candidly about:

• Growing up where violence was everyday life
• Wanting to go to prison – and deeply regretting it
• Life inside some of the UK’s most dangerous prisons
• The psychological toll of IP sentences
• Addiction, recall, and the trauma of loss
• Finding purpose, redemption, and saving lives through fitness

Now a husband, father of four, and founder of RuthlessFitness, Ricky has helped transform hundreds of lives, both in person and online. His story is raw, uncomfortable, and deeply human – but it is also one of hope.

This episode shines a light on the real impact of IPsentences, the failures of the justice system, and what rehabilitation actually looks like when it works.

⚠️ Content warning: This episode contains discussions of violence, prison life, mental health, suicide, and substance misuse.