The Locked up Living Podcast: Surviving and thriving in prisons and other challenging environments

Stella Assange  is a lawyer and human rights defender. Throughout her career, she has been an international advocate for human rights, most prominently in the case of her husband.

We are really pleased to welcome Stella to our podcast . Stella is a human rights lawyer who was born in South Africa and she's the wife of Julian Assange who's the founder of WikiLeaks and a prisoner at HMP Belmarsh and Stella and Julian have two children.

Julian Assange is held in the high security Belmarsh prison with the expectation that he will be extradited to the USA on charges related to the publication of government lies relating to, among others, the Iraq war.

Donate to Julian's legal costs here; https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/assangeappeal/

Donate to the UK campaign here; https://dontextraditeassange.com/donate/

Sign up here if ypu want to receive a text message on the upcoming hearing, when the date is known - https://dontextraditeassange.com/day-x/

Lobby your MP; https://dontextraditeassange.com/email-mp/

Other ways to help; http://www.freeassangeemergencytoolkit.com/

Ros Watts is a clinical psychologist whose work as the clinical lead for Imperial College, London's psilocybin trial has made her one of the most prominent voices in the field of psychedelics, she has been named as one of the 50 most influential people in psychedelics, as well as being in the top 16 women shaping up the field and you might recognize her from the Michael Pollan series on Netflix, "How to change your Mind".

https://acerintegration.com/

Key points from the conversation;

- Natalia Galicza is a journalist who specializes in narrative non-fiction writing.

- She wrote an article titled "The Women That Me Too Left Behind" about abuse in federal prisons for women in California.

- The article focuses on the case of a former inmate named Melissa, who experienced abuse from the warden at the Federal Correctional Institution of Dublin.

- The abuse included sexual and physical misconduct, as well as grooming and manipulation. - The article highlights the power dynamics and vulnerability that incarcerated individuals face when trying to speak up about abuse within the prison system.

- The abuse at FCI Dublin is seen as indicative of a larger issue within the federal prison system, with widespread allegations and a culture of abuse.

- Efforts to address the issue include proposed reforms, such as increased transparency, independent investigations, and compassionate release for survivors of abuse.

- The Bureau of Prisons has been resistant to implementing these reforms, and advocates continue to push for change.

Natalia Galicza is a journalist from South Florida who specialises in narrative nonfiction writing.We talk to her about her article 'The women that ‘Me too’ left behind' a powerful investigation into abuses of power in California's prisons.

She graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's in journalism and a specialization in magazine and feature writing.

While at UF, Galicza led Atrium magazine through its first year as its founding executive editor. Atrium is UF's first student-led narrative nonfiction magazine, which aims to share deeply reported and artfully told stories about the Sunshine State.

She interned for the Bitter Southerner and the Miami New Times as an undergraduate student and has since written for Flamingo magazine, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and the Miami Herald.

She has also reported award-winning, long-form stories for WUFT News, an NPR affiliate newsroom in Gainesville, Florida, and Fresh Take Florida, a statewide news service through WUFT News.

While Sarah is a co-founder and CEO of CeraThrive she emphasises the imprtance of early morning and evening as a natural way to take the red light that we all need.

Sarah Turner has a postgraduate degree in Clinical Neuroscience from Roehampton University in London. She also holds BSc degrees in Psychological Sciences and Nutritional Medicine from Westminster University and Thames Valley University, respectively. Currently, she is pursuing a diploma in Photobiomodulation at the University of Montpellier in France. During the initial decade of her career, Sarah worked as a research scientist in the pharmaceutical industry. Her role involved planning and conducting experiments to examine the impact of electrostatics on physiology.

Sarah actively participates in the Biohacker movement and has had the opportunity to interview prominent thought leaders, visionaries, and experts in the field of Biohacking. Through these interactions, she has gained a deep understanding of the crucial role of physics in relation to biology. This has ignited her interest in the areas of quantum biology in health, photomedicine, and consciousness studies. Sarah's primary focus lies in photobiomodulation, which involves utilizing specific light wavelengths and pulsed frequencies to enhance optimal functioning, with a specific emphasis on brain-related issues. As the Co-Founder and CEO of CeraThrive, she spearheads the production of a red light therapy system that specifically targets the gut-brain connection.

https://www.cerathrive.com/about-us

Rebecca Morgan is a trainee clinical psychologist who's exploring how people in hospital express their sexuality. We spoke with Rebecca after seeing an advert she posted for research participants, and it really made us wonder why we'd taken so long for this subject to be explored.

See key points at the bottom.

Dr. Jamie Bennett has worked in prisons and wider criminal justice system since 1996 and held a number of senior positions. He is currently Chief Strategy Officer at the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales. He was previously Governor of HMP Long Lartin, a high security prison; HMP Grendon, the only prison to operate entirely as a series of therapeutic communities; HMP Springhill, an innovative open prison which helps men to prepare for their release and resettle into the community, and; HMP Morton Hall, a women’s prison working with a diverse international population.

Jamie was editor of the Prison Service Journal for 17 years and has published over 100 articles and reviews in peer review publications covering topics including: prisons and the media, social inequality and imprisonment, and the development of managerialism. He is the author of The Working Lives of Prison Managers: Global change, local cultures and individual agency in the late modern prison (Palgrave MacMillan 2015), The Penal System: An Introduction Sixth Edition (with Paul Cavadino, James Dignan and George Mair, Sage 2019) and Prisoners on Prison Films (with Victoria Knight, Palgrave MacMillan, 2021). He has also produced four other books: Understanding Prison Staff (ed with Ben Crewe and Azrini Wahidin, Willan 2008); Dictionary of Prisons and Punishment (ed with Yvonne Jewkes, Willan 2008); The Prisoner (ed with Ben Crewe, Routledge 2011), and; Handbook on Prisons (ed with Yvonne Jewkes and Ben Crewe, Routledge, 2016).

Much of his writing has been on the management of prisons and most recently on the disruption to such management by the pandemic in his paper ‘Disrupting prison managerialism: Managing prisons in an age of pandemic’

Key points from the conversation;

1. The process of managerialism in the prison system can be dehumanizing and lead to a focus on meeting targets rather than caring for people.

2. There had been a shift in the culture of management, with a greater emphasis on targets and less commitment to broader corporate approaches.

3. The disruption caused by the pandemic led to a recalibration of the relationship between national and local levels of management, giving managers more discretion in implementing guidance.

4. The pandemic also led to a reinvigoration of a sense of place and community, with managers focusing more on the needs of their local community.

5. The experience of managers may have differed from that of ground floor staff, who sometimes felt ignored by top-level management.

6. The prison system experienced a shift from performance targets to change management in order to achieve reductions in resources.

7. There are ongoing changes in the prison system to give more choice and discretion to high-performing managers and to push strategic decision-making to a more local level.

Christopher Scanlon is a psycho-social consultant/researcher and consultant psychotherapist in forensic and adult mental health. He is a training group analyst and the Institute of Group Analysis and the Irish Group Analytic Society, and founder member of the Association for Psychosocial Studies.

John Adlam is a group psychotherapist and independent researcher, working mainly in the National Health Service, UK. He is a founder member of the Association for Psychosocial Studies and a former Vice President of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy.

https://www.routledge.com/Psycho-social-Explorations-of-Trauma-Exclusion-and-Violence-Un-housed/Scanlon-Adlam/p/book/9780367893316

Key points from the conversation.

1. The conversation is focused on themes from a book that explores social, political, and individual dynamics.

2. The authors emphasize the use of parable, storytelling, poetry, myth, and allegory to convey their ideas.

3. They discuss the need to avoid using other people's stories and instead focus on lived experiences and conversations.

4. The conversation touches on the current state of ruling powers and the potential for a depressing exploration of societal issues.

5. The authors discuss the benefits of working together on projects and the importance of collaboration and multidisciplinary approaches.

6. They mention the need for psychologists and psychotherapists to engage more with the world outside of their consulting rooms and to work together with other professionals.

7. The authors express a sense of passion and hope in addressing societal issues, despite the potential for suffering.

8. The conversation concludes by highlighting the rewarding nature of the book and the depth of its ideas.

This conversation features award winning film director Kym Staten, who's based in Australia. Kim has devoted nine years to the documentary industry.

He's the founder and director of Films4Change, an educational enterprise that's been operating since 2014. And initially Films4Change was a hybrid distributor bringing live in person cinema screenings. of documentary films to 90, 90 cities across the world, including Australia, New Zealand, New Zealand, the UK and America.

During the pandemic, Films4Change evolved into streaming with their platform, Films4Change.stream, launching in May 2020. (https://filmsforchange.stream/)  In 2021, Kim put himself behind a camera and a pen and he lends his highly trained eye for subject interpretation and narrative to direct his first documentary. The Trust Fall, includes eight animations and 23 interviews with Kim directing, co producing and writing the powerful narration for the film. (https://www.cinemanova.com.au/films/mdff-trust-fall-julian-assange-the)

This powerful film has won various awards and continues to be shown in festivals all around the world as it gears up for cinema release. We have watched quite a few films about Julian Assange and WikiLeaks and whilst most made us feel predominantly very angry, The striking thing about this film was it also made us feel deeply sad.

Key points from the conversation;

The film discusses the mistreatment and violation of due process in Julian Assange's case, including manipulation of evidence. - The film includes animation to provide a brief overview of the history of free speech. - WikiLeaks is known for publishing accurate and thoroughly researched documents. - The filmmaker reached out to various individuals, including John Shipton, Daniel Ellsberg, Tariq Ali, Nils Melzer, and John Pilger, to be interviewed for the film. - The film focuses on the treatment of Julian Assange and the decline of press freedom. - The filmmaker wanted to explore the reasons behind Julian Assange's persecution and the lessons to be learned from his exposures. - The accusations of rape against Julian Assange were seen as a way to destroy his character. - The plan to destroy Julian Assange and WikiLeaks involved a team of individuals assigned to the task.

The United States has played a significant role in various aspects discussed. Here are some key points:

1. The United States has been at war for a significant portion of its existence, with 235 out of 247 years being marked by war.

The document does not provide a comprehensive overview of the United States' involvement in various global events or its foreign policy. It focuses on specific aspects related to war, military presence, and the treatment of Julian Assange.

Dr Joe Davies, Chartered Psychologist, and lecturer in Applied Psychology at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Joe’s research primarily explores the causes and consequences of obesity within secure psychiatric inpatient services. Following his PhD, Joe worked for the National Collaborative Commissioning Unit of NHS Wales on Welsh Government commissioned projects aimed at improving care for secure inpatients, subsequently publishing the national review of secure inpatient services: Making Days Count. (See main points of the conversation below)

Weight Gain is Not Associated with Antipsychotic Medication, Sociodemographic Factors, or Diagnosis in a Welsh Secure Mental Health Unit (tandfonline.com)

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6011-8591

Main points from conversation,

- The conversation is about the issue of weight gain and obesity in forensic health and prison settings. - We discuss the lack of data on whether going to prison or hospital leads to weight gain or weight loss. - The importance of interviewing patients to understand their experiences and perspectives is emphasized. - We mention the potential link between overeating and trauma as a way of protecting oneself. - Attentional bias, where individuals pay more attention to salient stimuli, is discussed as a potential factor in weight gain. - The lack of integrated physical health care in forensic settings is highlighted. - The need for better nutrition and healthier behavior in prisons is mentioned. - The importance of patient involvement in shaping policy and improving care is emphasized. - The complex interaction of various factors contributing to weight gain is acknowledged. - The lack of input from nutritionists in forensic settings is mentioned. - We highlight the need for more research and awareness to bring about lasting change in addressing weight gain and obesity in forensic health and prison settings.

See the main points at the bottom.

Eileen is one of the BUPA7 whistleblowers, the first case to use uk whistleblowing law. As a result of her experiences She founded the charity 'Compassion in Care' to help protect vulnerable elderly people and whistleblowers. They have to date supported13k whistleblowers and  9k families of abuse victims. Eileen has written three books

'Dismantling the façade'

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1915643910/ref=syn_sd_onsite_desktop_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pf_rd_p=9063114e-563d-44f5-8cdc-badd8f379876&pf_rd_r=DWTEV4066KWQTGC0G10S&pd_rd_wg=QgaS0&pd_rd_w=0w3JF&pd_rd_r=22971bf0-50ce-4f52-9d8e-cccdba5ee61a

There is no me in whistleblower, the case for Edna’s Law

https://www.amazon.co.uk/THERE-NO-ME-WHISTLEBLOWER-TWO-ebook/dp/B084X7W89B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2KED63MHR2HLS&keywords=There+is+no+me+in+whistleblower+eileen+chubb&qid=1688138105&s=books&sprefix=there+is+no+me+in+whistleblower+eileen+chubb%2Cstripbooks%2C76&sr=1-1

They also have a petition for Edna’s law https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-protectors-with-edna-s-law-need-one-law-for-all-whistleblowers-ednaslaw-whistleblowing

Their website www.compassionincare.com has extensive information on both whistleblowing and abuse of vulnerable people.

Their most recent reports include abuse of LGBTQ elders. How the proposed whistleblowing law is currently being dictated by those with financial interests in exploiting whistleblowers. This is a small sample of their work.

https://compassionincare.com/news/stripped-of-pride/

https://compassionincare.com/news/democracy-what-vested-interest-cash-buys/

https://compassionincare.com/news/no-owb-our-letter-to-the-prime-minister/

They also founded https://www.thewhistler.org/ for whistleblowers from all other sectors.

Main points from the conversation

1. Eileen and six other whistleblowers witnessed abuse in a care home.