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

00:00 - Introduction to Lynette Ewart and her mission

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-prescription-strength-podcast/id1762298788

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-lynette-ewart-23323b80/

In an unusual move for us we are re releasing this podcast. The reasons are clear if you read on, Please circulate to all friends and contacts.

Jeffrey Lee remains alive and on death row at Holman Correctional Facility, Alabama, as of 30th June 2026.. Here is the latest update from his legal team received yesterday.

“On the evening of June 11, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a reported 6–3 vote, denied Alabama's emergency request to lift the injunction and block its planned nitrogen-gas execution of Mr. Lee, with Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch noting their dissent.

The denial upheld lower-court rulings that found the nitrogen protocol violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, effectively sparing Mr. Lee from that specific method.

On June 12, the day after the stay, Attorney General Steve Marshall's office filed in the Alabama Supreme Court a new motion seeking another execution date for Mr. Lee, this time by lethal injection rather than the firing squad he had proposed.

In that filing, state lawyers argued the Department of Corrections "has not been barred from executing Lee, only from executing him by nitrogen hypoxia."

The next procedural step is for Mr. Lee's attorneys to respond to the request at the Alabama Supreme Court, which must authorize any new death warrant.

As of late June, the execution has not been rescheduled, and Mr. Lee remains on death row at Holman Correctional Facility while his clemency request based on the now-abolished judicial override stays pending before Governor Kay Ivey.”

Click the links here to sign the petition and phone the state Governor

Here is some additional background. It is a difficult read;

The US Supreme Court denied Alabama’s request to execute a man using nitrogen gas late Thursday after two lower court rulings blocked the method and found it violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

The state had filed for an emergency order just hours ahead of the execution of Jeffery Lee, 49, scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday local time.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch noted their dissent and would have granted the state’s request to overturn the lower courts.

Lee, who was convicted of murdering two people in a 1998 pawnshop robbery, is effectively spared from being put to death via nitrogen, but the state can still try other methods, and it’s unclear how quickly it would seek viable alternatives.

“Tonight’s ruling is a miscarriage of justice, not for us, but for Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson, who Jeffery Lee brutally and senselessly murdered,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said. “I want their families to know that we will never stop seeking justice for Jimmy and Elaine.”

Jeffery Lee.Alabama Dept. of Corrections

Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement that the state can still reschedule Lee’s execution.

“While I am disappointed the Supreme Court did not allow the state to proceed with Lee’s chosen method of execution, I remain committed to ensuring that justice is ultimately served for his victims,” Ivey said, noting that Lee elected nitrogen over lethal injection in 2018, years before the state had developed a nitrogen protocol.

Last year, Lee filed a legal challenge to the nitrogen protocol, and instead asked to die by firing squad, a method not legal in Alabama.

Whether or not the state could execute Lee, who has been on death row for more than 25 years, by nitrogen gas was the question at the heart of his litigation that came to a head this week.

On Monday, a federal district judge in Alabama initially found the method was constitutional. Lee’s legal team appealed, and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the opinion, saying nitrogen executions most likely violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, and ordered the district court to rule on the feasibility of a firing squad execution.

When both the district and appeals courts ruled in favor of Lee, the state filed an application for an emergency order to the Supreme Court.

The high court has upheld other methods of execution throughout the country, including lethal injection, electrocution and firing squad, but nitrogen gas has been the subject of intense litigation since Alabama became the first state to begin using it in early 2024.

The method of nitrogen hypoxia requires prisoners to breathe in the gas through an industrial-grade mask while they are strapped to a gurney and deprived of oxygen. In its filing to the Supreme Court on Thursday, the state said the method “rapidly causes death,” describing the process as “humane, painless, effective, and reliable.”

Death penalty opponents, however, have criticized it as torturous. The American Thoracic Society also filed a brief in opposition to the state, saying “nitrogen hypoxia executions cause intense, inhumane suffering.”

Witnesses have described the condemned person shaking on the gurney, struggling against restraints and gasping for air. According to media witnesses, it took 30 minutes for Anthony Boyd, who was convicted of helping burn a man alive in 1993, to be declared dead during the last nitrogen execution in October.

The Supreme Court declined to intervene in that case. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a nine-page dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, saying “firsthand accounts from those executions reveal that nitrogen hypoxia is not at all what it was promised to be.”

“Boyd asks for the barest form of mercy: to die by firing squad, which would kill him in seconds, rather than by a torturous suffocation lasting up to four minutes,” Sotomayor said. “The Constitution would grant him that grace. My colleagues do not. This Court thus turns its back on Boyd and on the Eighth Amendment’s guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment.”

Alabama has executed seven prisoners using nitrogen, while Louisiana has executed one. Alabama’s primary method of execution remains lethal injection, which it last carried out in April 2025, but sourcing the drugs has been difficult in the last several years.

The Rev. Jeff Hood, the spiritual adviser for two of the men who were executed in Alabama with nitrogen gas, reacted to the Supreme Court’s denial Thursday.

“This is the beginning of the end of the most horrific execution method this country has ever devised,” he said.

In an unusual move for us we are re releasing this podcast. The reasons are clear if you read on, Please circulate to all friends and contacts.

Jeffrey Lee remains alive and on death row at Holman Correctional Facility, Alabama, as of 30th June 2026.. Here is the latest update from his legal team received yesterday.

“On the evening of June 11, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a reported 6–3 vote, denied Alabama's emergency request to lift the injunction and block its planned nitrogen-gas execution of Mr. Lee, with Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch noting their dissent.

The denial upheld lower-court rulings that found the nitrogen protocol violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, effectively sparing Mr. Lee from that specific method.

On June 12, the day after the stay, Attorney General Steve Marshall's office filed in the Alabama Supreme Court a new motion seeking another execution date for Mr. Lee, this time by lethal injection rather than the firing squad he had proposed.

In that filing, state lawyers argued the Department of Corrections "has not been barred from executing Lee, only from executing him by nitrogen hypoxia."

The next procedural step is for Mr. Lee's attorneys to respond to the request at the Alabama Supreme Court, which must authorize any new death warrant.

As of late June, the execution has not been rescheduled, and Mr. Lee remains on death row at Holman Correctional Facility while his clemency request based on the now-abolished judicial override stays pending before Governor Kay Ivey.”

Click the links here to sign the petition and phone the state Governor

Here is some additional background. It is a difficult read;

The US Supreme Court denied Alabama’s request to execute a man using nitrogen gas late Thursday after two lower court rulings blocked the method and found it violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

The state had filed for an emergency order just hours ahead of the execution of Jeffery Lee, 49, scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday local time.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch noted their dissent and would have granted the state’s request to overturn the lower courts.

Lee, who was convicted of murdering two people in a 1998 pawnshop robbery, is effectively spared from being put to death via nitrogen, but the state can still try other methods, and it’s unclear how quickly it would seek viable alternatives.

“Tonight’s ruling is a miscarriage of justice, not for us, but for Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson, who Jeffery Lee brutally and senselessly murdered,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said. “I want their families to know that we will never stop seeking justice for Jimmy and Elaine.”

Jeffery Lee.Alabama Dept. of Corrections

Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement that the state can still reschedule Lee’s execution.

“While I am disappointed the Supreme Court did not allow the state to proceed with Lee’s chosen method of execution, I remain committed to ensuring that justice is ultimately served for his victims,” Ivey said, noting that Lee elected nitrogen over lethal injection in 2018, years before the state had developed a nitrogen protocol.

Last year, Lee filed a legal challenge to the nitrogen protocol, and instead asked to die by firing squad, a method not legal in Alabama.

Whether or not the state could execute Lee, who has been on death row for more than 25 years, by nitrogen gas was the question at the heart of his litigation that came to a head this week.

On Monday, a federal district judge in Alabama initially found the method was constitutional. Lee’s legal team appealed, and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the opinion, saying nitrogen executions most likely violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, and ordered the district court to rule on the feasibility of a firing squad execution.

When both the district and appeals courts ruled in favor of Lee, the state filed an application for an emergency order to the Supreme Court.

The high court has upheld other methods of execution throughout the country, including lethal injection, electrocution and firing squad, but nitrogen gas has been the subject of intense litigation since Alabama became the first state to begin using it in early 2024.

The method of nitrogen hypoxia requires prisoners to breathe in the gas through an industrial-grade mask while they are strapped to a gurney and deprived of oxygen. In its filing to the Supreme Court on Thursday, the state said the method “rapidly causes death,” describing the process as “humane, painless, effective, and reliable.”

Death penalty opponents, however, have criticized it as torturous. The American Thoracic Society also filed a brief in opposition to the state, saying “nitrogen hypoxia executions cause intense, inhumane suffering.”

Witnesses have described the condemned person shaking on the gurney, struggling against restraints and gasping for air. According to media witnesses, it took 30 minutes for Anthony Boyd, who was convicted of helping burn a man alive in 1993, to be declared dead during the last nitrogen execution in October.

The Supreme Court declined to intervene in that case. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a nine-page dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, saying “firsthand accounts from those executions reveal that nitrogen hypoxia is not at all what it was promised to be.”

“Boyd asks for the barest form of mercy: to die by firing squad, which would kill him in seconds, rather than by a torturous suffocation lasting up to four minutes,” Sotomayor said. “The Constitution would grant him that grace. My colleagues do not. This Court thus turns its back on Boyd and on the Eighth Amendment’s guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment.”

Alabama has executed seven prisoners using nitrogen, while Louisiana has executed one. Alabama’s primary method of execution remains lethal injection, which it last carried out in April 2025, but sourcing the drugs has been difficult in the last several years.

The Rev. Jeff Hood, the spiritual adviser for two of the men who were executed in Alabama with nitrogen gas, reacted to the Supreme Court’s denial Thursday.

“This is the beginning of the end of the most horrific execution method this country has ever devised,” he said.

summary In this episode which is a bit outside of our usual conversations, we meet  Max Schurer who shares his multifaceted relationship with comedy, exploring what makes things funny, the purpose of comedy, and its impact on society and individual well-being. We look at the art of stand-up, societal boundaries, and how comedy can both divide and unite.

keywords comedy, stand-up, societal boundaries, humour, mental health, cultural boundaries, comedy festivals, audience engagement

key topics

Sound Bites

Chapters approximate

0:00Introduction to Max Schurer's Background

01:00Max's Relationship with Comedy

02:36What Makes People Find Things Funny?

04:54The Purpose of Comedy

06:38Genres and Forms of Comedy

07:07Timelessness of Certain Jokes

09:05Repeating Comedy Acts and Audience Loyalty

10:28Visual Comedy and Persona (Tommy Cooper)

10:57Defining 'Good' Comedy and Cultural Boundaries

12:02Different Forms of Comedy: Stand-up, TV, and Sketches

15:26Comedy's Role in Well-being and Happiness

17:03Offense, Boundaries, and Audience Reactions

19:21Comedy and Audience Expectations

20:56Performance Variability and Audience Reception

23:42The Challenges of Being a Comedian

25:37Mental Health and Comedy

33:14Power Dynamics in Comedy

35:35The Challenge of Being Funny on Demand

38:40Authenticity and Boundaries in Comedy

41:52Societal Boundaries and Evolving Norms

45:39Comedy as a Reflection and a Tool for Society

51:40Max's Work in Promoting Comedy and Well-being

summary In this episode which is a bit outside of our usual conversations, we meet  Max Schurer who shares his multifaceted relationship with comedy, exploring what makes things funny, the purpose of comedy, and its impact on society and individual well-being. We look at the art of stand-up, societal boundaries, and how comedy can both divide and unite.

keywords comedy, stand-up, societal boundaries, humour, mental health, cultural boundaries, comedy festivals, audience engagement

key topics

Sound Bites

Chapters approximate

0:00Introduction to Max Schurer's Background

01:00Max's Relationship with Comedy

02:36What Makes People Find Things Funny?

04:54The Purpose of Comedy

06:38Genres and Forms of Comedy

07:07Timelessness of Certain Jokes

09:05Repeating Comedy Acts and Audience Loyalty

10:28Visual Comedy and Persona (Tommy Cooper)

10:57Defining 'Good' Comedy and Cultural Boundaries

12:02Different Forms of Comedy: Stand-up, TV, and Sketches

15:26Comedy's Role in Well-being and Happiness

17:03Offense, Boundaries, and Audience Reactions

19:21Comedy and Audience Expectations

20:56Performance Variability and Audience Reception

23:42The Challenges of Being a Comedian

25:37Mental Health and Comedy

33:14Power Dynamics in Comedy

35:35The Challenge of Being Funny on Demand

38:40Authenticity and Boundaries in Comedy

41:52Societal Boundaries and Evolving Norms

45:39Comedy as a Reflection and a Tool for Society

51:40Max's Work in Promoting Comedy and Well-being

Simon Scott 2 (Video); The Hidden Emotional Toll on Families of Long-Sentenced Prisoners

This episode examines the often-overlooked emotional and social consequences faced by families of prisoners serving lengthy or life sentences. David Jones and Naomi Murphy talk with Simon Scott, a researcher with lived experience, about his groundbreaking PhD study on the ripple effects of incarceration on loved ones and society.

Main Topics:

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Simon Scott’s background and research focus

Resources & Links:

This episode examines the often-overlooked emotional and social consequences faced by families of prisoners serving lengthy or life sentences. David Jones and Naomi Murphy talk with Simon Scott, a researcher with lived experience, about his groundbreaking PhD study on the ripple effects of incarceration on loved ones and society.

Main Topics:

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Simon Scott’s background and research focus

Resources & Links:

This episode examines the often-overlooked emotional and social consequences faced by families of prisoners serving lengthy or life sentences. David Jones and Naomi Murphy talk with Simon Scott, a researcher with lived experience, about his groundbreaking PhD study on the ripple effects of incarceration on loved ones and society.

Main Topics:

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Simon Scott’s background and research focus

Resources & Links:

This episode examines the often-overlooked emotional and social consequences faced by families of prisoners serving lengthy or life sentences. David Jones and Naomi Murphy talk with Simon Scott, a researcher with lived experience, about his groundbreaking PhD study on the ripple effects of incarceration on loved ones and society.

Main Topics:

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Simon Scott’s background and research focus

Resources & Links:

summary

Dr Coral Westaway (Video); Why Should Modern Psychology Embrace Energy and Spirituality?

In this conversation Dr Naomi Murphy and David Jones meet with Dr. Coral Westaway and explore the world of energy psychology, its techniques like EFT, and its integration with traditional psychology. She shares her personal journey, the importance of holistic health, and how energy work can transform mental health practices.

Dr Coral Westaway is a Clinical Psychologist and Energy Psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and holistic health. Known as The Energy Psychologist, she brings together doctoral - level clinical training with energy psychotherapy, conscious connected breathwork, and body practice; creating a bridge between mainstream psychology and the energetic and spiritual dimensions of our lives.

Coral's work is rooted in a simple but radical belief: that the body holds our truth, and that real transformation happens not just in the mind, but through the whole system. Her own journey with stage 3+ colon cancer in 2021 deepened this understanding profoundly, and now informs everything she does.

Alongside her individual therapy and supervision work, Coral runs The Receiving Revolution : a 7 - week group programme for therapists, psychologists, and helping professionals who chronically overgive. These are the helpers who understand their patterns intellectually but find they cannot shift them at the level of the body and energy. The Receiving Revolution supports them to readdress that imbalance, reconnect with their own wisdom, and build lives and practices that are sustainable and genuinely nourish them.

You can find Coral at www.theenergypsychologist.org, and there is a growing library of free sessions for conscious therapists on her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheEnergyPsychologist. To find out more about The Receiving Revolution, visit her website or find her on Instagram @theenergypsychologist.

 keywords

Energy Psychology, EFT, Holistic Health, Mind-Body Connection, Spirituality in Psychology, Energy Medicine, Conscious Breathwork, Chakra, Meridian, Healing Techniques

 key  topics

Energy psychology techniques like EFT and meridian work

The integration of spirituality and science in mental health

Personal journey into energy medicine and holistic health

 sound bites

"Energy is in motion in everything."

"Blocks to energy flow limit our potential."

"The future of holistic health is energetic."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Energy Psychology

06:18 Personal Journey into Energy Medicine

09:15 Bridging Science and Spirituality

14:22 The Receiving Revolution Program

18:14 Understanding Overgiving and Caregiving

22:52 The Importance of the Body in Mental Health

26:33 Exploring Love and Heart Energy in Psychology

30:32 The Future of AI in Therapy

33:54 The Evolution of Energy Psychology

35:35 Ten second outro video.mp4

 resources

Energy Psychology Institute - https://energypsychologyinstitute.org/

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) - https://www.palaceofpossibilities.com/

summary

In this conversation Dr Naomi Murphy and David Jones meet with Dr. Coral Westaway and explore the world of energy psychology, its techniques like EFT, and its integration with traditional psychology. She shares her personal journey, the importance of holistic health, and how energy work can transform mental health practices.

Dr Coral Westaway is a Clinical Psychologist and Energy Psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and holistic health. Known as The Energy Psychologist, she brings together doctoral - level clinical training with energy psychotherapy, conscious connected breathwork, and body practice; creating a bridge between mainstream psychology and the energetic and spiritual dimensions of our lives.

Coral's work is rooted in a simple but radical belief: that the body holds our truth, and that real transformation happens not just in the mind, but through the whole system. Her own journey with stage 3+ colon cancer in 2021 deepened this understanding profoundly, and now informs everything she does.

Alongside her individual therapy and supervision work, Coral runs The Receiving Revolution : a 7 - week group programme for therapists, psychologists, and helping professionals who chronically overgive. These are the helpers who understand their patterns intellectually but find they cannot shift them at the level of the body and energy. The Receiving Revolution supports them to readdress that imbalance, reconnect with their own wisdom, and build lives and practices that are sustainable and genuinely nourish them.

You can find Coral at www.theenergypsychologist.org, and there is a growing library of free sessions for conscious therapists on her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheEnergyPsychologist. To find out more about The Receiving Revolution, visit her website or find her on Instagram @theenergypsychologist.

 keywords

Energy Psychology, EFT, Holistic Health, Mind-Body Connection, Spirituality in Psychology, Energy Medicine, Conscious Breathwork, Chakra, Meridian, Healing Techniques

 key  topics

Energy psychology techniques like EFT and meridian work

The integration of spirituality and science in mental health

Personal journey into energy medicine and holistic health

 sound bites

"Energy is in motion in everything."

"Blocks to energy flow limit our potential."

"The future of holistic health is energetic."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Energy Psychology

06:18 Personal Journey into Energy Medicine

09:15 Bridging Science and Spirituality

14:22 The Receiving Revolution Program

18:14 Understanding Overgiving and Caregiving

22:52 The Importance of the Body in Mental Health

26:33 Exploring Love and Heart Energy in Psychology

30:32 The Future of AI in Therapy

33:54 The Evolution of Energy Psychology

35:35 Ten second outro video.mp4

 resources

Energy Psychology Institute - https://energypsychologyinstitute.org/

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) - https://www.palaceofpossibilities.com/

In this episode, Dr. Steph Davies shares her extensive experience working at the front lines of death investigations, challenging assumptions, and uncovering hidden truths in suspicious and staged scenes. Her insights highlight the importance of meticulous forensic analysis and the pressing need for improved training and procedures in the UK’s coronial system.

Stephanie Davies is a former Senior Coroner's Officer and now an independent inquisitorial death investigator. She has a forensic science and forensic psychology background, and she has been investigating deaths for over twenty years. She is now studying for a doctorate and she consults on complex cases on behalf of families and lawyers. 

To find out more about Steph, please visit: www.deathinvestigator.co.uk  

Key topics:

The roles and responsibilities of a coroner's officer versus a coroner

Steph’s journey from forensic science and psychology to death investigations

Challenges faced by deaf professionals in forensic fields

Bloodstain pattern analysis and staged crime scene recognition

Investigating suspicious deaths and recognizing red flags

The Wilmslow murders case: forensic re-evaluation and uncovering potential serial offenses

The importance of critical thinking and attention to detail in forensic investigations

The false narratives and misinterpretations in high-profile cases like Lucy Letby

The systemic issues and misconduct in police investigations and whistleblowing experiences

Comparing US and UK practices in death investigation and training gaps

The value of independent forensic consultancy in complex cases

How working with death emphasizes the significance of life and the importance of truth

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Steph Davies and her forensic background

02:43 - Role of a coroner's officer and how it differs from a coroner

05:16 - Steph’s career journey and forensic interests

07:31 - Misconceptions about New York Police and forensic work in America

09:39 - Living with a hearing impairment and its impact on Steph’s career

12:36 - Day-to-day responsibilities of a coroner's officer and investigations

15:54 - Specialized training in staged crime scenes and bloodstain analysis

17:09 - Collaborating with police and other investigators on complex cases

18:41 - What drew Steph to investigate suspicious deaths and her inquisitive nature

22:39 - The Wilmslow murders: forensic re-examination and uncovering inconsistencies

27:53 - The potential presence of a serial offender and systemic investigation issues

32:13 - Re-evaluation of a series of suspicious cases and red flags

37:17 - The controversy and systemic flaws in police investigations and investigations’ aftermath

41:54 - Leaked reports, police misconduct, and challenges faced as a whistleblower

48:32 - The Lucy Letby case: forensic misinterpretations and miscarriages of justice

52:02 - Developing a moral compass and fighting systemic injustice

55:07 - Ongoing studies in coronial death determination and international practices

57:33 - Independent consulting work and future plans in complex forensic cases

60:02 - The impact of working with death on valuing life and pursuit of truth

Resources & Links:

Coronial Manner of Death Determination in Equivocal Deaths and Staged Crime Scenes (Doctoral Research) (replace with actual URL)

Note: This episode sheds light on the intricacies of forensic death investigations, emphasizing the importance of critical analysis, scientific rigor, and ethical responsibility in uncovering truth and justice.