Recently, the BBC aired a documentary about Andrew Malkinson, an individual from England who was wrongfully convicted of rape and spent 17 years in prison, until he was released in December 2020. Danny Barrs is the Chair of Promoting Prisoners Maintaining Innocence. Danny chats about majority verdicts in jury cases, how it can be difficult for innocent people to progress through prison and the difficulty they can face in obtaining compensation from the state upon their release from prison. Learn...
Jun 27, 2024•55 min•Ep. 73
Cage is currently serving a 50 year prison sentence in Texas for aggravated robbery while his wife, Andreea, lives in London. They met in 2020 when Andreea wrote to Cage through writeaprisoner.com. They talk about how their relationship developed and how they maintain it despite the obvious barriers, the stigma attached to meeting and marrying someone in prison and their plans for the future, despite Cage only being 12 years into his sentence. Evolving Prisons links Website: evolvingprisons.com ...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 72
Chelsea Cameron wrote an open letter to her drug-addicted parents in 2017, thanking them for teaching her that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. She shares the letter with us and tells us about the stigma of growing up with drug-addicted parents, whether prison helped her dad, and the issue with drugs in Scottish prisons, where 1 in 10 prisoners say they had never touched drugs before their imprisonment but started using them while inside. Evolving Prisons links Website: evolvingprisons.com ...
Jun 07, 2024•50 min•Ep. 71
William Noguera spent 40 years on death row at San Quentin Prison for a murder he committed at age 18. Last year he was taken off death row but he is still in prison. He chats to us from his prison cell, telling us how a day on death row looked, how it felt to be given an execution date, how he feels about potentially being released one day into a society he hasn't been in for 41 years and how he has stayed disciplined to write books, host podcasts and create art while on death row. William's li...
May 27, 2024•32 min•Ep. 70
Rob Parkes was married to Victoria Breeden. Victoria is now serving a 9 year prison sentence for conspiracy to murder him. Rob speaks about being the victim of coercive control, how Victoria's second husband, Wayne, set fire to Rob's car while he was sleeping and how he discovered that Victoria was trying to hire somebody to kill him. Victoria is up for parole soon and Rob talks about his feelings towards this and whether he thinks prison will rehabilitate someone like her. You can buy a copy of...
May 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 69
Carl Scott joined a gang at 13 years old and subsequently spent 8 and a half years in prison. He was a victim of a knife attack which almost killed him. Carl chats about how a life of crime leaves you always looking over your shoulder, how prison might seem like a holiday camp but that loss of control is the real punishment, and how he lost his best friend to knife crime, who sadly died in his arms. Carl is now a knife crime ambassador. Carl's links Website Instagram Evolving Prisons links Websi...
May 07, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 68
Gen was a prison officer in England and had been eager to become one since age 15. She talks about the difficulty of comprehending how some people can be so gentle and kind but also be a human trafficker, how she'd try to educate prisoners convicted of rape that wearing protection doesn't mean it isn't rape and the worry of losing the ability to feel compassion at all after witnessing so much trauma in prison. You can order a copy of Gen's book, The Prison Officer, here. Evolving Prisons links W...
Apr 27, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 67
Why do prisons in California and Texas have so many gangs? Why didn't they exist prior to the 1950s? What happens to somebody who leaves the prison gang? How much influence do prison gangs have over people on the streets? I sat down with Professor David Skarbek who has published extensively on this topic. His book, The Social Order of the Underworld: How Prison Gangs Govern the American Penal System, can be bought here. Evolving Prisons links Website: evolvingprisons.com Instagram: @evolvingpris...
Apr 17, 2024•43 min•Ep. 66
Marc Conway has served 10 prison sentences, stuck in the revolving door of crime until his final prison sentence in HMP Grendon, a therapeutic prison in England, made him think about why he'd been behaving the way he had. Marc discusses growing up with a distrust of police and how he feels that the government needs to do more to improve equality in our society. Evolving Prisons links Website: evolvingprisons.com Instagram: @evolvingprisons LinkedIn: kaigancarrie...
Apr 07, 2024•59 min•Ep. 65
Iain was a prison officer in Australia for 15 years until 2020. He tells us about a number of experiences he had, from working with a prisoner who was involved in 55 self-harm or behavioural incidents over a 4-month period to a prisoner who was convicted of driving his truck into a bar after being denied alcohol, killing multiple people. Evolving Prisons links Website Instagram LinkedIn Iain's videos about his time as a prison officer can be viewed here ....
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 64
Lee Davies was a prison officer in England and was imprisoned in May 2010 for taking contraband, namely mobile phones and cannabis, into prison for prisoners. Lee tells us how he started taking contraband in, how he got caught, ways to limit corrupt staff taking contraband into prisons and the impact that corrupt staff have on the prison service. Evolving Prisons links Website: evolvingprisons.com Instagram: @evolvingprisons LinkedIn: Kaigan Carrie...
Mar 17, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 63
The Strangeways Prison riot is the longest recorded riot in British penal history, lasting 25 days in April 1990. Brendan O'Friel was the governor of the prison at that time. He tells us about the condition of the prison leading up to the riot, how 147 officers and 47 prisoners were injured and 1 officer and 1 prisoner lost their life, how Brendan navigated the riot without a contingency plan for such events in place and the aftermath. Brendan has documented the riot in his book Prison Governor'...
Feb 27, 2024•58 min•Ep. 62
Bruce Perham is a social worker and therapist in Melbourne, Australia. He has provided counselling and debriefing to prison officers after traumatic incidents for many years. We hear ways in which the job takes its toll on prison officers, including hearing about an officer who was beaten, leaving him with a brain and spinal injury and unable to work, and another officer recounts the impact of finding prisoners who have taken their own life. Connect with Bruce Perham at Let's Talk Differently. E...
Feb 17, 2024•53 min•Ep. 61
Brianna Ghey, age 16, was murdered in England in February 2023 in a premeditated stabbing attack by two 15 year olds, Scarlett and Eddie. The court decided the offence was primarily motivated by sadistic tendencies. They were sentenced last week to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years and 20 years respectively. I sat down with one of the UK's most respected forensic psychologists, Dr Naomi Murphy, who has 25 years experience working with violent and sexually violent offenders, to as...
Feb 07, 2024•35 min•Ep. 60
Vanessa Frake worked for the prison service in England for 27 years and was awarded an MBE in 2012 for her work. Vanessa shares her biggest regret in her career where a prisoner escaped while on escort and a prison officer took their own life. We chat about riots and assaults, corrupt prison officers and the difficulty of fitting into society when you've spent your entire career behind bars. Order a copy of Vanessa's book here. Evolving Prisons links LinkedIn: kaigancarrie Instagram: @evolvingpr...
Jan 27, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 59
Why do so many people have a fascination with serial killers? What's it like to meet one? How do serial killers justify their crimes? Can they be rehabilitated or is prison merely for their containment? Dr Scott Bonn answers these questions and more. He is a criminologist, author of 'why we love serial killers' and he provides expert commentary for high profile true crime TV shows. Evolving Prisons links LinkedIn: kaigancarrie Instagram: @evolvingprisons Website: evolvingprisons.com Dr Scott Bon...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 58
Tony Attwood has 25 years of lived experience with addiction and crime. Peter Ross was a judge who sentenced him to a period of imprisonment and subsequently to a rehabilitation treatment centre. Tony later founded Hope and Vision Communities with Peter, providing people with a home to stay at after they successfully leave addiction treatment services. This is a remarkable story of two individuals on opposing sides of the criminal justice system coming together to help society. Learn more about ...
Jan 07, 2024•45 min•Ep. 57
George Bannister served time in prison in England for an attempted robbery on a post office to fund his drug addiction. He talks about learning the value of karma, respect and gratitude in prison, and how connection is key to a life free from addiction. You can connect with George Bannister here. Evolving Prisons links LinkedIn: kaigancarrie Instagram: @evolvingprisons Website: evolvingprisons.com...
Dec 27, 2023•48 min•Ep. 56
What is prison really like at Christmas? A former prisoner, prison officer and prison governor share some of their experiences. From playing a game of cricket on Christmas day to seeing your first dead body in custody, from Christmas lunch to karaoke for the governor's wife. There's a sprinkling of festive fun with a serving of sadness and trauma. Evolving Prisons links Linkedin: kaigancarrie Instagram: @evolvingprisons Website: evolvingprisons.com...
Dec 17, 2023•56 min•Ep. 55
Joe Arvidson is a criminologist and desistance advocate from the United States of America. Joe shares with us how he feels the media portrays a narrow view of corrections, and how prison can cause more harm than good. He also shares the importance of self-regulation, identity, resilience and social support in desistance. Evolving Prisons links LinkedIn: kaigancarrie Instagram: @evolvingprisons Website: evolvingprisons.com Listen to Joe's podcast The Criminologist....
Dec 07, 2023•34 min•Ep. 54
Alex McClintock was a prison officer at HMP Perth in Scotland for 19 years and he featured on Channel 4's Banged Up. Alex shares how his mental health declined to the point he had a breakdown and intended to take his own life. He tells us how his PTSD manifests itself, we discuss how prison officers can look after their wellbeing and we chat about the Banged Up TV show experience. Evolving Prisons links LinkedIn: kaigancarrie Instagram: @evolvingprisons Website: evolvingprisons.com...
Nov 27, 2023•49 min•Ep. 53
Alex South is the author of the incredible book, Behind These Doors. She worked for the prison service in England for 10 years in HMP Whitemoor, HMP Belmarsh and HMP Wormwood Scrubs. We talk about the impossible task of keeping on top of the contraband entering some prisons, the violence that occurs in prison, the dangers of Spice and drug psychosis, and the detrimental impact prison can have on people where prisoners and staff are taking their own lives. Buy a copy of Alex's book here. Evolving...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 52
Clare Pearson spent almost 22 years working in prisons in England. She governed 4 public prisons and was the director of a private prison. Clare also appeared as the governor on Channel 4's TV series 'Banged Up'. We chat about the difference between working in a male and female prison and how Clare's leadership style varied across each, the time a prisoner assaulted her and she required surgery for a double jaw fracture, and how close to real prison life the Banged Up TV show was. Evolving Priso...
Nov 07, 2023•45 min•Ep. 51
Happy Halloween! We hear from two prison officers and five tour guides about paranormal activity within prisons in England, Canada and Australia. We hear of a murder mystery in Old Ottawa Jail, a frightening experience on a night shift in an English prison which is still in operation today, tales from Shepton Mallet prison (known as the world's most haunted prison), other beings within Kingston Penitentiary in Ontario, and ghostly encounters in Pentridge Prison in Melbourne, Australia. Evolving ...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 50
Why is there a high risk of suicide in Vantaa Prison in Finland? What values are needed to be a good prison officer? Do some prison staff join the service with a power complex or does the job create this within them? Minna Liukkonen works in Vantaa Prison, Finland's largest prison. She recruits, inducts and mentors new prison officers. One bonus episode of Evolving Prisons is released every month and these episodes don't appear on the main page. You can subscribe to listen to these bonus episode...
Oct 24, 2023•27 min•Ep. 49
Professor Francis Pakes has spent the last decade researching prisons in some Nordic countries, including Iceland. He spent a week as a quasi-prisoner in two open prisons there to better understand life in prison in Iceland. We discuss how he felt going into prison, some of the experiences he had as a quasi-prisoner there and how vastly different the culture inside prison is in Iceland, where prison officers would sometimes bring their dogs or children to work. One bonus episode of Evolving Pris...
Oct 10, 2023•40 min•Ep. 48
Anni Karnaranta is Governor (also known as Head of Unit) at Hämeenlinna Prison in Finland, a smart prison for women. We discuss Anni's 17 years in the prison service and the many different areas staff can train in, including becoming a lawyer which Anni also did. We discuss what crimes people tend to go to prison for in Finland, how staff combat the problem with drugs coming into the prisons and what a smart prison actually is. One bonus episode of Evolving Prisons is released every month and th...
Sep 26, 2023•42 min•Ep. 47
Jackie Dunn's son Lucas began an 18 year prison sentence in March 2022 for DUI manslaughter in Florida, USA. Jackie and I discuss the circumstances surrounding his conviction, whether him doing an 18 year sentence is really better for society than him doing the alternative which was a 10 year sentence with a lifetime of educating about the dangers of DUIs, how two people can commit very similar crimes but get very different prison sentences and how somebody can get a 30 year prison sentence for ...
Sep 12, 2023•34 min•Ep. 46
Dom Kelly is a former prison officer within Northern Ireland and now works in forensic psychology services within the same service. He shares his experiences of working with political and sexual offenders, and details the stark differences between working with these two groups. We also discuss the dangers prison officers have faced in Northern Ireland over the years. Dom has also been involved in prison research for more than 10 years and shares some of his research into prison officer wellbeing...
Aug 29, 2023•48 min•Ep. 45
Lucy Letby, age 33, was convicted last week of murdering 7 babies and attempting to murder 6 more while working as a nurse on the Neonatal Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in England. I sat down with one of the UK's most respected forensic psychologists, Dr Naomi Murphy, who has 25 years experience working with violent and sexually violent offenders, to ask some questions like: How can a cold, callous killer also be described by some as gentle, kind and timid? What could her motive have ...
Aug 22, 2023•39 min•Ep. 44
