Life After Prison

On this episode of Life After Prison, we explore a story that doesn’t follow a straight line — because real change rarely does.

Donell, a successful contractor & former prisoner, shares the highs, setbacks, and hard truths of life after release, while Jeffrey, a prison coach, reflects on the turning point that changed his own path and led him to work with young people in custody.

The two met at Cookham Wood, where honest, in-depth coaching built a powerful connection — one that was tested by setbacks, including a return to prison and homelessness.

They reflect on what changed the second time around, and why some people break the cycle while others don’t.

This episode of Life After Prison accompanies the launch of a short film from Spark Inside focused on Donell's remarkable journey.

Watch here: https://www.sparkinside.org/news/donells-story-how-coaching-unlocked-his-hero-within-5

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful Organisations:

Kings Trust – support young people to get into work, education, or training, especially those facing disadvantages or barriers like unemployment or a history with the justice system. Offering mentoring, courses, and funding to help build confidence and create new opportunities.

Spark Inside - deliver coaching programmes in prisons, helping young people develop confidence, emotional intelligence, and a sense of purpose. Their work focuses on supporting long-term personal change and better outcomes after release.

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.

💬 Socials: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and X, @lifeafterprison on TikTok
📧 Email: [email protected]
✉️ Write: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF
🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is the definition of transformation. At the age of 11 he was groomed into county lines, by 12 he was regularly carrying firearms and by 15 he’d already seen the inside of a prison cell. The following years were a mix of serving time as a teenager, along with physical and mental trauma.

Once labelled a criminal, he’s now recognised as a survivor of child criminal exploitation and modern slavery, becoming one of the voices leading the change. You can find him speaking in Parliament, contributing at the United Nations, and influencing national policy on exploitation and justice.

Useful Organisations:

Open University - offers flexible, distance learning courses that can be studied in prison or after release, helping people continue their education and build new career paths.

Mind - provide advice, support, and services for people experiencing mental health challenges. It offers helplines, local services, and resources to help individuals understand their mental health and access the right support.

Unique Talent - Our mission is to break the cycle of offending, gang involvement, and serious youth violence by providing mentorship, education, and life-changing opportunities.
https://uniquetalent.org.uk/
Human Trafficking Foundation - Bring together statutory and non-statutory organisations working to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery, sharing knowledge to support informed and effective action.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.
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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.

💬 Socials: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and X, @lifeafterprison on TikTok
📧 Email: [email protected]
✉️ Write: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF
🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Life After Prison, we’re joined by filmmaker Daisy-May Hudson.

In 2013, Daisy-May was living in a hostel with her mum and sister — a reality she didn’t fully recognise as homelessness at the time.

At that young age she decided to pick up a camera and document it, a decision that would change everything. Her story went viral, leading to her documentary Halfway, which she crowdfunded and took to cinemas.

Now a BAFTA Breakthrough talent, her work — including feature film Lollipop — focuses on storytelling, healing, and lived experience, particularly around prison and homelessness.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Organisations:
Clean Break - Support women affected by the criminal justice system through training and performance, helping them build confidence and pathways into creative industries.
Reclaim The Frame - Directly support women into film through development programmes, training, and showcasing work by women directors.
Daddyless Daughters - support girls and young women who have been affected by family breakdown, abuse and adversity across London between the age of 14 - 30 years old. Supporting them to go on to build and sustain healthy relationships and lifestyles in aid of preventing criminal and sexual exploitation.
Birth Companions – Provides support for pregnant women and mothers in prison, including help with resettlement and parenting.
Petition for the Holloway Centre - https://levelup.movement-action.org/p/islington-council-finish-holloway-womens-centre
Daisy-May's first feature film Lollipop - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002pvjy

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.

💬 Socials: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and X, @lifeafterprison on TikTok
📧 Email: [email protected]
✉️ Write: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF
🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few series back we looked at some of the comments that people had left on our social media. We responded to comments tackling the stigma of having been to prison and cleared up a few myths about what life is really like inside. Those episodes were interesting to say the least! Today we’re going for it again, responding to the comments from our conversations with a few guests last series.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful Organisations

Refuge (National) – Offers emergency accommodation and support for women escaping domestic abuse.

Abianda (London) – Supports young women affected by gangs through tailored mentorship and advocacy.

Radical Recruit - Help people with barriers to work secure employment and regain control of their futures. Aiding them access to fair opportunities and meaningful work.

Disclosure Calculator - https://unlock.org.uk/disclosure-calculator/

The Orphan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5VYaTepAQA

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.

💬 Socials: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and X, @lifeafterprison on TikTok
📧 Email: [email protected]
✉️ Write: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF
🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guests is someone whose football journey has been anything but ordinary. From coming through the ranks at Arsenal FC, one of the most prestigious academies in the country—to playing across England and abroad, our guest today has built a career that many young players dream of. Known for his strength, technical ability, and versatility on the pitch, he was once seen as one of the brightest prospects of his generation. Representing England at youth level and sharing dressing rooms with some of the game’s biggest names. However, behind the headlines and highlights, there’s a deeper story that goes far beyond football. This is a conversation about resilience, reflection, and redefining purpose.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful Organisations:

3 pillars project - Mentor and support people in custody and after release, helping them build discipline, confidence, and pathways into education and employment.

Key 4 Life - Work with young men at risk of reoffending, using sport and mentoring to develop life skills, improve wellbeing, and support them into work and a more stable future.

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.

💬 Socials: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and X, @lifeafterprison on TikTok
📧 Email: [email protected]
✉️ Write: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF
🖥️ Website: https://lifeafterprisonpod.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.