A poet, a songwriter and an all-round inspirational guy, Joshua Luke Smith is passionate about sharing the hope of Jesus with prisoners. In a slightly different type of episode, he sits down with Richie to share some of his story and discuss why it's so important to reach out to people who are behind both physical and spiritual bars.

The COVID lockdown was tough for everyone, but especially for those serving prison sentences. Candice was one of those serving time, convicted for drug offences after a lifetime in and around organised crime. But for her, living through the isolation, anxiety and withdrawal would open her up to changing her life for the better.

One split second, one bad decision. Tex thought that getting caught by the police and sent to jail would ruin his life. Instead, and encounter with God saw him turn his life around, from drug dealing and robbery to his new passion, music.

Susanne didn't have the easiest childhood and as a young adult fell into an abusive relationship and drug addiction. In this episode, she shares how major developments during two different pregnancies shaped her life story.

Growing up in Glasgow, Charles searched for a sense of belonging in gangs and drugs. He became trapped in a lifestyle of violence and addiction until a near-death experience saw him cry out to God for help. Changed by the experience, Charles' recovery saw him build a new life and a calling to help those who are caught in the same lifestyle he once had.

Kema talks about his journey from a difficult neighbourhood to a successful rap and acting career. They touch on racism, emigration issues, and how God reached out to him when he was at his lowest.

Ryan’s life was chaotic. After being caught smuggling drugs into New Zealand, he found himself crying out to a God that he didn’t even believe in, asking him to change his life. His journey with God would lead him to a new life and a new career, on a journey he could have never imagined.

Santi used alcohol and drugs to self-medicate a lot of emotional pain. After some violent outbursts, he actually asked his lawyer to send him to prison, as he felt he this might be the best way that he could get the help he needed. However, things ended up spiralling out of control.

In this first introduction to the Stories of Hope podcast, our host Richie shares his story. He speaks on why he was so passionate about hearing the stories of others.

Stories of Hope brings you incredible accounts of lives transformed and people finding a freedom beyond anything they could have imagined. Stories of Hope was produced by Junction 42 in partnership with UCB. Junction 42 exists to see the lives of offenders visibly transformed by the gospel. For more information, please visit Junction42.org