The Secret Life of Prisons

Ep3: Agents of change on the inside

A special series of podcasts recorded live in association with the University of Liverpool’s Making Space for Radical Imagination project.

Academics from the University of Liverpool ran a series of Challenge Labs, taking views from across society about crime and justice. The Labs included people working within the criminal justice system, people who have been convicted of crimes and been through the system, people who have experienced criminal harm and wider members of society who have an interest in the impact of criminal harm and how to reduce it. They challenged participants to reimagine a justice system that would deliver their expectations and make society safer and better for everyone. Then asked them what was getting in the way. 

In this series of podcasts the guests on our panel discuss some of the findings from those workshops.

Guests:

Marc Conway - Director of Fair Justice, a consultancy which supports change in the criminal justice system. CEO of UNGRIPP, which campaigns for the rights of people who have received IPP sentences.

Dr. Dominique Walker - Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Justice at Liverpool John Moores University, and the Chair of the Anthony Walker Foundation, a charity that aims to combat racism and hate crime which was set up in memory of Dominique's brother who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 2006.

Aaliyah Calland - Probation Officer in the north-west of England with experience of working with people serving a wide variety of sentences, including people who are on licence after being released from prison.

Emma Stuart - Head of Rehabilitative Services at the Forward Trust, a charity that helps people leave crime behind and also supports those recovering from addiction. Emma was previously a prison governor and has extensive experience in academia and the charity sector.

Presenter: Faye Dunn

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Nathan Moore

Live sound engineers: Joshua Lorenz and Lucy Harper

With thanks to Dr. Ruth Armstrong, Professor Shadd Maruna, and Dr. Laura Naeglar who led the project

The Making Space for Radical Imagination Project was funded by UK Research and Innovation.

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

Ep2: What do crime victims want?

A special series of podcasts recorded live in association with the University of Liverpool’s Making Space for Radical Imagination project.

Academics from the University of Liverpool ran a series of Challenge Labs, taking views from across society about crime and justice. The Labs included people working within the criminal justice system, people who have been convicted of crimes and been through the system, people who have experienced criminal harm and wider members of society who have an interest in the impact of criminal harm and how to reduce it. They challenged participants to reimagine a justice system that would deliver their expectations and make society safer and better for everyone. Then asked them what was getting in the way. 

In this series of podcasts the guests on our panel discuss some of the findings from those workshops.

Guests:

Marc Conway - Director of Fair Justice, a consultancy which supports change in the criminal justice system. CEO of UNGRIPP, which campaigns for the rights of people who have received IPP sentences.

Dr. Dominique Walker - Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Justice at Liverpool John Moores University, and the Chair of the Anthony Walker Foundation, a charity that aims to combat racism and hate crime which was set up in memory of Dominique's brother who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 2006.

Aaliyah Calland - Probation Officer in the north-west of England with experience of working with people serving a wide variety of sentences, including people who are on licence after being released from prison.

Emma Stuart - Head of Rehabilitative Services at the Forward Trust, a charity that helps people leave crime behind and also supports those recovering from addiction. Emma was previously a prison governor and has extensive experience in academia and the charity sector.

Presenter: Faye Dunn

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Nathan Moore

Live sound engineers: Joshua Lorenz and Lucy Harper

With thanks to Dr. Ruth Armstrong, Professor Shadd Maruna, and Dr. Laura Naeglar who led the project

The Making Space for Radical Imagination Project was funded by UK Research and Innovation.

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

Ep1: Can prisoners (and prisons) change?

A special series of podcasts recorded live in association with the University of Liverpool’s Making Space for Radical Imagination project.

Academics from the University of Liverpool ran a series of Challenge Labs, taking views from across society about crime and justice. The Labs included people working within the criminal justice system, people who have been convicted of crimes and been through the system, people who have experienced criminal harm and wider members of society who have an interest in the impact of criminal harm and how to reduce it. They challenged participants to reimagine a justice system that would deliver their expectations and make society safer and better for everyone. Then asked them what was getting in the way. 

In this series of podcasts the guests on our panel discuss some of the findings from those workshops.

Guests:

Marc Conway - Director of Fair Justice, a consultancy which supports change in the criminal justice system. CEO of UNGRIPP, which campaigns for the rights of people who have received IPP sentences.

Dr. Dominique Walker - Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Justice at Liverpool John Moores University, and the Chair of the Anthony Walker Foundation, a charity that aims to combat racism and hate crime which was set up in memory of Dominique's brother who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 2006.

Aaliyah Calland - Probation Officer in the north-west of England with experience of working with people serving a wide variety of sentences, including people who are on licence after being released from prison.

Emma Stuart - Head of Rehabilitative Services at the Forward Trust, a charity that helps people leave crime behind and also supports those recovering from addiction. Emma was previously a prison governor and has extensive experience in academia and the charity sector.

Presenter: Faye Dunn

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Nathan Moore

Live sound engineers: Joshua Lorenz and Lucy Harper

With thanks to Dr. Ruth Armstrong, Professor Shadd Maruna, and Dr. Laura Naeglar who led the project

The Making Space for Radical Imagination Project was funded by UK Research and Innovation.

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

As the Sentencing Act 2026 receives royal assent, Phil and Paula take to the stage at Conway Hall in London as part of the Clinks annual conference 2026.

Lord James Timpson was Chief Executive of Timpsons, where he pioneered the employment, at scale, of people who have been through the criminal justice system. He was Chair of the Prison Reform Trust before joining government in 2024 as Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending.

Anne Fox is the outgoing Chief Executive of Clinks, the charity that represents voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire 

Paula Harriott 

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email [email protected].

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

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

Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons. His father and brother spent time behind bars and he wrote a memoir, The Life Inside, about his career in prisons which we featured in an episode back in May 2025. That book has now been adapted for a BBC1 series, Waiting For The Out, which starts in the new year.

Ric Renton spent time in three prisons in the north-east of England, including HMP Durham. He is now a writer and actor and was part of the writers room for Waiting For The Out, as well as playing a character in the drama.

You can catch Waiting For The Out on BBC iPlayer here.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email [email protected].

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

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

Every year the radio industry gathers for the Radio Festival in London. The event, run by a wonderful organisation called the Radio Academy, brings together radio professionals from across the country to see the finest broadcasting talent talking about what's happening at the cutting edge of our industry.

This year's event was entitled World Of Sound, showcasing the UK as a global leader.

Phil was privileged to be asked to host a session, and as a special Christmas offering we can now bring that talk to you: Phil Maguire in conversation with none other than Louis Theroux, himself no stranger to producing award-winning media in prisons.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email [email protected].

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

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

In 2006, Phil Maguire OBE left his job at the BBC to work in prisons. He joined a small group of committed, inspirational people to found a charity, the Prison Radio Association, which went on to transform how we communicate in prisons and set up the world's first national radio station for people in prison.

Phil is Chief Executive of the charity. Today, Phil has some news which he wants to share with each and every listener to The Secret Life of Prisons.

Phil's Instagram

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email [email protected].

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

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

Beatrice Auty was released from prison last year and has since become a Longford Scholar, pursuing her academic interest in criminology. Before prison, Beatrice visited death row in the US and dreamt of becoming a human rights lawyer. Beatrice's case and trial attracted a good deal of media attention, and since release Beatrice has appeared in the media to talk about her experiences in prison.

Charlie Moloney is a media law commentator and trainer who has recently been named the new editor of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists – the standard text that accredited journalists follow in their training. He is a veteran of reporting on court proceedings.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email [email protected].

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

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

The Audio Production Awards take place every year to honour the very best in radio and podcast production in the UK. They're run by Audio UK, which represents audio producers, and are competed for by the very best in the production and broadcast industries. And this year, The Secret Life of Prisons won GOLD in the Sport category for our episode about the HMP Brixton Half Marathon! So this week we wanted to give you another opportunity to hear that award-winning episode. Enjoy...!

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Two days before the 2025 London Marathon, a very special half marathon took place behind the walls of HMP Brixton in aid of the Prison Reform Trust. And The Secret Life of Prisons was granted exclusive access to bring you the sounds of a momentous morning.

Nine of HMP Brixton's residents undertook a 16-week training programme, supported by members of the local running community, and on Friday 25 April they ran alongside around 40 visitors in a feat of endurance and stamina. The result was a beautiful example of the power of sport to change lives.

The voices you will hear in this podcast include:

Tara Benedetti

Pia Sinha

Mia Wheeler

Sean Fletcher

Marianne Garvey

Jamie Loyn

Sarah Taylor

Abbey Darling

Alan Higgins

Hermen Dange

Martin Jones

Dr. Dave Maguire

Eleanor Carmichael

Adam Harris

Andrew Wilkie

Faye Dunn

Our thanks to the staff at HMP Brixton, particularly Governor Wheeler, Deputy Governor Merrifield their physical education team, and also the team at the Prison Reform Trust led by Pia Sinha and Tara Benedetti for making this event, and this podcast, possible.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

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

If you would like to support the Prison Radio Association, visit prison.radio/biggive and your donation will be doubled!

Faye Dunn and Toni Garrigos first met each other while serving sentences in HMP Styal. Faye is now the Assistant Producer of this podcast, while Toni is employed in sales. Check out their story.

Presenters:

Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association

Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie

Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. 

To contact the show, please email [email protected].

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760

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