He’s just released his debut album Worlds End FM, recently played at Glastonbury, and is getting played on Radio 1 and 2. But life wasn’t always like this for Hak Baker. Here, he tells Zak and Jules the story of how he learnt to play guitar while in prison, and how he’s turned it into a successful career since coming out. If you want to hear more from Hak, check out this episode of our sister podcast Outside In where Hak chats to our colleagues Nico and Richie. This podcast is also available as ...
Jul 13, 2023•44 min
As a young person, Julie Muir struggled with addiction and was often in and out of prison as a result. While she was in for the final time, she met a peer supporter who inspired her to get clean inside, and she hasn’t looked back since. Julie is now Director of Recovery at The Forward Trust, the same organisation that helped her when she was inside. Here she shares her story of what it’s like to have a young son while in prison, how she chooses recovery each day, and her aspirations for the futu...
Jul 06, 2023•46 min
Tracey started out playing online bingo and ended up stealing over one million pounds from her employer to fund a gambling addiction. Here, she tells Zak and Jules about what led to her confession, what experiencing prison in your 50’s is like, and how becoming a peer support worker while inside led her to the work she does now with St Giles Trust. Almost a quarter of people in prison have reported having a gambling problem. Our sister podacst, Hold or Fold is about gambling harm and offers advi...
Jun 29, 2023•43 min
This episode features forensic psychologist Sally Tilt and Dean Cramer, who spent six years inside. Alongside Zak and Jules, they discuss the long term mental impact that being inside has on someone, and the positives and negatives that they have carried over to their life after prison. If you're interested in more on this topic, in this episode of our sister podcast The Secret Life of Prisons, Dwaine Patterson talks about spending 7 years in the seg while he was in prison and the long term impa...
Jun 22, 2023•52 min
In this episode Zak and Jules sit down with Jules’ dad, Graham, and Gasconi, who became a dad the day before he went inside. They discuss how prison affected these relationships, what they did to get through it and where they are today. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: A Fairer Chance Storybook Dads Children Heard and Seen Sussex Prisoners Families Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to m...
Jun 15, 2023•49 min
Zak and Jules sit down with the CEO of HMPPS, Amy Rees to ask her about how prison officers are trained, how prisoner complaints are dealt with inside and ask some important questions about licence conditions and recall. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: Clinks Directory Prisoners Families Helpline – 0808 808 2003 Longford Trust Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change...
Jun 08, 2023•52 min
Zak and Jules speak to award-winning lash technician Shanice Lee about the importance of being open and honest about her past, her time in prison and where she found the confidence to start her own business and the resilience that she’s needed to keep going. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: Prince’s Trust Women’s Work Housing For Women Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positiv...
Jun 01, 2023•46 min
Gary Mansfield never thought someone like him could be an artist, but after taking a punt on an art class in prison, he found himself hooked. After writing to artists like Tracey Emin while in prison, Gary found the confidence to pursue art as a career when he got out. Here, he talks about why he makes the work he does and how the art community helped him along the way. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: Koestler Arts Prodi...
May 25, 2023•53 min
While The Sit Down is taking a short break, we bring you Touch Road, a brand new mini-series about life after release from prison. Three people tell their stories of life after walking through the gate. In this final episode, we find out how their stories end. If you have recently been released from prison, there are lots of organisations that can support you: Mental Health CALM CALM helpline – 0800 58 58 58 (open 5pm-midnight) Samaritans Samaritans helpline – 116 123 (24 hours) Post Release Sup...
Apr 13, 2023•16 min
While The Sit Down is taking a short break, we bring you Touch Road, a brand new mini-series about life after release from prison. Three people tell their stories of life after walking through the gate. In episode two we hear about the ups and downs that come with the first few days of life on the outside. If you have recently been released from prison, there are lots of organisations that can support you: Mental Health CALM CALM helpline – 0800 58 58 58 (open 5pm-midnight) Samaritans Samaritans...
Apr 06, 2023•16 min
While The Sit Down is taking a short break, we bring you Touch Road, a brand-new mini-series about life after release from prison. Three people tell their stories of life after walking through the gate. In episode one we hear all about how they prepare for release, and how it feels to step out of jail for the first time once their sentence is over. If you have recently been released from prison, there are lots of organisations that can support you: Mental Health CALM CALM helpline – 0800 58 58 5...
Mar 30, 2023•18 min
The friends you make in prison can help you to survive your sentence, and achieve success when you get out. This week we Sit Down with Nigel and Rony, two of Zak’s friends that he made during his time in prison. All three credit their success in rebuilding their lives on the outside, to the people they’ve surrounded themselves with since their release. Here they talk about changing their mindset post prison and what those friendships mean to them. This podcast is also available as a video – just...
Mar 16, 2023•50 min
Before going inside, Ali never thought he’d end up working in radio. But, after taking an interest in National Prison Radio, he eventually started working for the station while inside. Now, Ali works as a producer and presenter for NPR but on the outside. Here he talks about how his listeners shape his show, what he’s learned since joining the station and what he gets out of having a creative job. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organi...
Mar 09, 2023•46 min
While in prison, Darren Murinas took a cooking class where he was encouraged to be a peer mentor, and upon release his passion for helping others using his lived experience grew. Eventually Darren founded Expert Citizens CIC, an organisation that puts lived experience at its core to help improve services using the expertise of those who’ve been there. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: Restart Concrete Expert Citizens CIC S...
Mar 02, 2023•51 min
Software engineer Josh Rolland didn’t know how to code before he went inside. Now, he’s the co-founder of CodeAtt, a Not For Profit Organisation that teaches coding to prison leavers and young people at risk of crime and helps them get jobs. Here he talks to Zak and Jules about the challenges of growing up with ADHD, how he went from doing an accounting degree to spending time inside, and what he did to secure work upon leaving prison. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life...
Feb 23, 2023•49 min
Nequela Whittaker once aspired to be South London’s biggest drug dealer. Today she’s a youth worker, author and mentor who is passionate about working with young people and, as she puts it, being “part of the solution”. She shares her story about how she got involved in crime, ended up in a Scottish prison and what made her want to leave her old lifestyle behind. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: Support and Action Women's...
Feb 16, 2023•49 min
Author, workshop facilitator and father Rich Jones sits down with Zak and Jules to talk about the impact that his time inside had on his sons and what he’s done to work on that relationship. As an ex-soldier, Rich also shares his experience about readjusting to life after prison vs life after the army and tells us about the work he does with veterans in prison. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: CALM CALM helpline – 0800 58...
Feb 09, 2023•49 min
Usually on The Sit Down, we speak to someone who has been inside themselves or is close to someone who has. This episode is a little bit different, as we sit down with the outgoing Chief Probation Officer Sonia Flynn. The CPO is responsible for 18,000 probation workers across England and Wales – a role that Sonia has held since 2017. Here she reflects on her time on the role, answers questions about recall and MAPPA and tells us what she thinks needs to change. This podcast is also available as ...
Feb 02, 2023•54 min
We’re back with series 2 of The Sit Down! And what better way to kick off than with poet, author, radio host and workshop facilitator, Lady Unchained. Here she talks to us about how her poetry kept her out of trouble while inside, breaking down the stereotype of being an “ex-offender” and what advice she’d give to people just getting out. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: Arts Admin Sound Delivery Media National Criminal J...
Jan 26, 2023•51 min
The Sit Down is back with Series 2 next week on Thursday 26th January. Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you’d just like to get in touch, please contact us. 💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and Twitter 📧 Email us: [email protected] ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF 🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
Jan 20, 2023•2 min
Building your confidence up again when you've spent time inside can be tough: Whether it’s navigating social situations, knowing what to say in a job interview, or feeling like people are judging you for your conviction. In this episode Zak and Jules break it down with some help from other people who've been behind the door. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Organisations mentioned: CALM CALM helpline – 0800 58 58 58 (open 5pm-midnight) Samarit...
Jan 09, 2023•23 min
Continuing or starting education after leaving prison can be a challenge. Here, Scott from the Shannon Trust explains the importance of education, what the challenges might be, and what options are out there. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Organisations mentioned: Shannon Trust Read Easy National Careers Service National Careers Service Hotline – 0800 100 900 WEA Open University NACRO Contact us: If anything you’ve heard in today’s episode h...
Dec 05, 2022•24 min
Today’s Sit Down features Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, hosts of the massive US podcast Ear Hustle. Ear Hustle started inside San Quentin Prison while Earlonne was still serving his sentence and it documents life inside the prison, something no other podcast has done before. Since coming out, Earlonne continues to make the show with Nigel, as well as campaigning for prison reform. Here, we hear the story of how exactly Ear Hustle came to be, why Nigel is so interested in prison work, and the si...
Dec 01, 2022•43 min
Kate Morrissey from NHS England joins us to explain how to register with a GP, talk about the NHS Reconnect service and how to access it and provides information about where else you can go for support for different healthcare needs. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Organisations mentioned: How to register with a GP surgery If you have problems registering with a GP surgery you can: Call the NHS England Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 22 3...
Nov 28, 2022•23 min
Luke McCarthy and his guitar Bailey join Zak and Jules to talk about how his upbringing and the expectations of others shaped his life and time inside. Luke opens up about how music became his comfort in prison and how it connected him to the charity, The Irene Taylor Trust. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: Irene Taylor Trust Aspire NACRO Citizen's Advice Prince's Trust Clinks Directory Samaritans Samaritans helpline – 11...
Nov 24, 2022•38 min
Clean Slate is an organisation that helps people with their finances. Emma, their head of programmes, joins Zak and Jules, to explain how to open a bank account, how Universal Credit works and signpost to lots of useful organisations and resources that can help you manage your money. Our sister podcast Money Mondays is presented by Zak with Emma from Clean Slate and features loads of episodes with advice and support on all kinds of money issues that you might have when you come out of prison. Th...
Nov 21, 2022•29 min
After entering the criminal justice system as a young person in care, Aliyah found herself in a cycle of crime. After seeing other young women caught up in the system, she decided to set up Daddyless Daughters, a non-profit that supports girls and young women across London who may have complex needs. Here, she talks to Zak and Jules about her story, and about what she believes still needs to change. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful orga...
Nov 17, 2022•45 min
In this episode, Jules and Zak are joined by Wendy Robinson from CALM to talk about taking care of your mental health after you leave prison. We talk about how challenging it is when you first come out, and how reality can be different to what you expected. Wendy talks about how normal it is to struggle with your mental health after prison and the different ways you can get help. If you’re struggling with your mental health and you need support today, you can contact The Samaritans on 116 123 an...
Nov 14, 2022•24 min
Chris Lynam is a poet, writer and public speaker who currently works at The Archer Project. Prior to this, Chris was embroiled in a life of addiction and criminality, originally in Ireland and then in the UK. Here, Chris shares the story of what led him to prison, his road to recovery, and how life has been since getting out. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: CALM CALM helpline – 0800 58 58 58 (open 5pm-midnight) Samaritan...
Nov 10, 2022•39 min
Jon from Humankind joins Zak and Jules to discuss the challenges around continuing, or starting, your Recovery journey after prison. We discuss the importance of reaching out for help and that it's never too late to do so. Jon tells Zak and Jules about the importance of carrying naloxone and also explains how volunteering can help you with staying on track with your recovery. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Organisations mentioned: Humankind ...
Nov 07, 2022•28 min
