Life After Prison

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: podcasts@prison.radio ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London...

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...

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 Hotli...

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 t...

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...

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 Tru...

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 wit...

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 chang...

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 strugg...

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 Priso...

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...

In this episode we are joined by CEO, radio producer, presenter and DJ Anthony Olanipekun who left prison and founded music platform Soul Surge. Tony opens up about his life before, during and after prison, touching on how he is dealing with past trauma through therapy and describing the journey of starting his life again after release. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life...

In this episode, Jules and Zak are joined by Lizzy Jewell from Working Chance to talk about finding a job after being in prison. They discuss employers’ changing attitudes towards people with convictions and the importance of having a backup plan while you look for your dream job. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Organisations mentioned:  Workin...

Tassie joins Zak and Jules to talk about her journey through the Criminal Justice System, from entering as a YO and becoming homeless at a young age, Tassie reflects on the life that she fell into and how she got out of it. Since coming out, Tassie has set up her own business helping to support care leavers in custody and gained a university degree. She now works for HMPPS as Reducing Re-offending...

In this episode, Jules and Zak are joined by Heidi Trott from Shelter to discuss the housing options available if you've recently left prison. We hear from Marcel, who found it difficult to get social housing when he first came out. Heidi tells Zak and Jules where people can go to find support and does some myth-busting around what it means to have ‘priority need’ status or a local connection. Thi...

In this episode Zak and Jules are joined by Tracy, who has two sons serving life sentences and Hilda, who is Zak’s mum. In a fascinating and emotional episode, Tracy and Hilda talk about how it felt when their sons received their sentences, and how to stay strong when you have a loved one inside. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisat...

In this episode, Jules and Zak are joined by Debbie from Unlock to discuss the issues around disclosing your conviction when applying for jobs. Debbie explains how important it is to understand when and how to disclose your conviction. She also talks about the difference between spent and unspent convictions, and the benefits of putting together a disclosure statement. This podcast is also availab...

Zak and Jules share their stories and explain how they ended up where they are today as the hosts of the Life After Prison podcast. They reflect on receiving their sentences, other people’s perceptions of them and how prison affected their family relationships. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. Useful organisations: NACRO Unlock Clinks Directory...

Our first episode of The Sit Down features Bobby Kasanga who served nearly 8 years in prison. He talks to us about how he got recruited as a Peckham boy and how this led him to his time inside. Since coming out, Bobby has created Hackney Wick’s first ever semi-professional football club and here he tells us how he uses this, and his media company Big Ego, to support young people. This podcast is a...

Life After Prison is a brand new podcast for anyone who has spent time in prison, or who has been affected by the criminal justice system. Presented by Zak and Jules it features inspiring stories from people who've been inside, plus guidance and support for you if you've recently been released. Follow us at @afterprisonpod on Instagram and X and @lifeafterprisonpod on TikTok Hosted on Acast. See a...