Voices Unlocked

Rosie joined the probation service in 1986 and retired in 2021 as one of Merseyside's assistant chief officers of probation. In this episode of Voices Unlocked, Lorna and Liv sit down with her to talk about what the system got wrong about children with a parent in prison, and what has changed since. Rosie remembers home visits where she walked straight past a child doing their homework to spe...

Hayley was 16 when her older sister Melanie had Liv. From then on, Hayley was the one getting Liv washed and dressed before work, and the one who picked her up from school the day Melanie went to prison. In this episode of Voices Unlocked, Liv's Auntie Hayley tells her side of the story. Hayley remembers the day Grandad Chris came home from court and, for once, wasn't joking when he said...

She was raised in the shadow of her mum's incarceration - and today, she's a mother to two little girls of her own. In this episode of Voices Unlocked, Caitlin (sibling #3 in a family whose story you've been following) opens up about a childhood shaped by secrecy, anger, and neglect... and how she rebuilt her life into one defined by stability, love, and healing. From finding out th...

In this episode of Voices Unlocked, we sit down with Polly. She opens up about growing up with a mother affected by addiction and imprisonment, being raised largely by her siblings and grandmother, and how a single, painful prison visit reshaped her understanding of family. She shares how she and her siblings each processed their mum's absence differently, what it was like being let down by t...

In this deeply personal and educational episode of Voices Unlocked, our host opens up about one of the hardest chapters of her life - growing up with a mother who has struggled with addiction, mental illness, and repeated periods in prison. Alongside her co-host, she unpacks what it really means to live with ambiguous loss, disenfranchised grief, and the fear that comes with a parent's relaps...

From a Florida prison documentary to finding peace in Greece — Layla's story will move you. In this episode of Voices Unlocked, we welcome Layla, for the realest, most emotional conversation yet. Layla opens up about growing up with an absent, addicted mother, being raised by her nan and granddad, and the wild true story of how she ended up starring in a Channel 4 documentary that placed teen...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com The hosts of Voices Unlocked open with a disclaimer that they are not therapists, then welcome special guest Carla, a social worker with lived experience of having a dad in prison and a former placement student at Time Matters. They discuss how Carla connected with Lorna through placement and counselling training, how supportive and non-judgmental the Time Ma...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In this episode of Voices Unlocked, the hosts share a disclaimer about not being therapists and encourage listener self-care, then swap roles to put co-host Dr. Lorna Brooks “in the hot seat.” Lorna explains how she moved from wanting to be a child psychologist into prison research, initially focusing on women in custody before dedicating her work to children...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com We welcome back Liv’s Nanny Carol, joking about messages praising Carol’s looks and discussing skincare and sun protection. Carol reflects on the prison visit process, including waiting with other families without judgement, preparing children for sniffer dogs, and the intense travel, queues, and anxiety involved. They discuss how visits can be especially dif...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In this episode of Voices Unlocked, we discuss how media and social media coverage can affect children and families when a parent is imprisoned. Liv shares her experience of seeing a video involving her mum spread online when she was 13–14, leading to intense questions at school, worsening mental health, withdrawal from friends, truancy, and efforts to hide s...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In episode 15 of Voices Unlocked, the hosts welcome Abby, who shares how she found Time Matters after her mum went to prison and how she became responsible for supporting her younger sister and grandmother while coping with the shock and emotions of a parent’s sentence. Abby discusses the importance of taking things day by day, seeking support, and allowing s...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com Episode 14 of Voices Unlocked features Janine, a Time Matters board director, sharing how she met Lorna and how her childhood was shaped when her stepdad - who was like a father to her - went to prison when she was 12/13. She describes police raids, a lack of safeguarding and support, stigma and ostracisation at school, housing insecurity, and becoming parent...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In Episode 13 of Voices Unlocked, Lorna and Liv welcome special guest Nanny Carol and begin with a disclaimer that they are not therapists, sharing lived experiences that may be heavy. Carol and Liv discuss their close-knit family, childhood memories, and Carol’s saying “I love you every day and twice on Sunday.” The conversation focuses on Liv’s mum being ar...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In this episode of Voices Unlocked, Liz and Lorna reflect on the podcast’s growing support before discussing practical “do’s and don’ts” for supporting children with a parent in prison. Liv shares how a handmade teddy from when her mum was in jail, letters, tattoos, and a “missing you box” helped her cope with ambiguous loss and anxiety, and explains how crea...

In this episode of Voices Unlocked, Liv and Lorna discuss what “release” is really like after prison, challenging the idea that it’s simply the end of the journey. Liv shares her experience of her mum coming home, including the surprise of probation, daily reporting, and being placed on an ankle tag with strict curfew rules, and how confusing and scary that felt as a child. They explore how releas...

In this episode of Voices Unlocked Pod, Lorna and Liv welcome Sarah Beresford OBE, reflecting on how their connection began and Sarah’s journey from Scottish secondary school teacher into work supporting children affected by parental imprisonment. Sarah recounts a pivotal case where a pupil’s mother received a life sentence and no services considered the children, prompting Sarah to visit the moth...

In this Voices Unlocked episode, we welcome Dr. Ben Rakes, who shares his current role teaching academic skills at University Campus Oldham and reflects on decades of work supporting young people affected by the criminal justice system. The conversation focuses on InCIP (International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents), how it emerged from links between the COPING project (2010–2013...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com Lorna and Liv return for Episode 8 of Voices Unlocked with a disclaimer that they’re not therapists and the stories are based on lived experience. They discuss international travel and speaking at conferences, starting with Liv’s first international conference at 15 in Caux, Switzerland, held in a castle with young people from around the world sharing experie...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In episode seven of Voices Unlocked, hosts Lorna and Liv welcome their first guest, Lindsay, a parent whose children have been involved with Time Matters for four years since their dad was imprisoned. Lindsay shares how she found out through friends rather than any official contact, her initial anger, and the difficulty of answering the children’s questions w...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com Lorna and Liv welcome guest Aaron, whom they have known since he was a child through Time Matters, and reflect on his early confidence in support groups and media work, including a BBC News interview. Aaron shares how his dad went to prison when he was nine, why his family chose not to maintain contact, and how rebuilding foundations through his mum’s researc...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com  In episode 5 of Voices Unlocked, Liv and Lorna share their whirlwind trip to the USA after their short drama film That Girl, about a girl growing up with a mother in prison, was selected for the Idyllwild film festival in California. They recount the chaotic travel and arriving in snowy mountains with only summer clothes, meeting supportive festival friends...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In episode four of Voices Unlocked, Lorna and Liv discuss what school can feel like for a young person with a parent in prison, including stigma, gossip, exclusion, and the difference between maternal and paternal imprisonment. Liv shares thriving academically while also facing playground comments, anxiety and panic attacks, and a harmful incident where a sub...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In episode three of Voices Unlocked, Liv and Lorna discuss prison visits and contact for children with a parent in prison, stressing that they are not therapists and encouraging listener self-care. Lorna shares UK estimates of 192,000–312,000 children affected and explains that visit experiences vary due to inconsistent policies across prisons. Liv describes...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In episode two of Voices Unlocked, the hosts remind listeners they are not therapists and encourage self-care during emotional conversations. They reflect on how their long friendship shaped their lives, then discuss how families tell children when a parent goes into custody and what that moment feels like. Liv shares learning at age eight that her mum was in...

Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In the first episode of Voices Unlocked, Liv and Lorna introduce their podcast as a safe space to share real-life experiences of growing up with a parent in prison, while noting they are not therapists and encouraging listeners to look after themselves during emotional conversations. Lorna shares how her career developed through prison research into founding...