Life After Prison

While studying accountancy at university, Pratik became involved in drug dealing, believing it was a shortcut to success. After being convicted of conspiracy to supply drugs, he received a 2-year prison sentence, a period that changed the course of his life.

Pratik has written about drug policy, taught financial literacy, and, post-release, has supported people who have left prison. Former COO and now programme lead at Breakthrough CIC, Pratik is now delivering AI courses in prison, helping others prepare for life beyond the gate.

Today, we'll talk about identity, entrepreneurship, prison, second chances, and why Pratik believes some of life's greatest strengths can be found behind bars.

Organisations:

Breakthrough Social Enterprise - Work with people in prison and those affected by the criminal justice system, supporting them to build positive futures and challenge the cycle of reoffending. It focuses on employment, education, mentoring and personal development, helping people move forward with their lives after prison.

Employment4All - Our mission is to help individuals in difficulties and those from disadvantaged groups gain skills, access jobs, and have equal opportunities.

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: podcasts@prison.radio

✉️ 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.

“Prison was the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Today we're joined by Lilly Lewis. The first time we met Lilly, she told us that compared to everything else she'd been though, her time in prison was the 'easiest thing she'd ever done.'

Since the last time we met her, Lilly’s achieved so much. She’s continued rebuilding her life, become a passionate advocate for women with lived experience, influenced policy and systems change, and launched her own organisation supporting women after trauma and prison.

We’re so happy to have her back and find out a bit more about what life looks like now.

Useful Organisations:

One Small Thing - An organisation with a vision of a justice system that can recognise, understand, and respond to trauma. Their mission is to redesign the justice system for women and their children.

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: podcasts@prison.radio

✉️ 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.

Tony Supreme talks to Caragh Arthur, founder of Arthur Employment Law, Senior Policy Lead at HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), Non-Exec director of the housing CIC Contix, University of Cambridge graduate, and a Churchill Fellow researching the experiences of women in prison.

Caragh shares the remarkable journey that took her from childhood trauma, addiction and 16 prison sentences to becoming a business owner, civil servant and Churchill Fellow. She reflects on the people who believed in her when she couldn't believe in herself, the barriers of rebuilding life after prison, and how lived experience has shaped her approach to leadership. She also discusses founding her own employment law consultancy, studying at the University of Cambridge, and why she believes people should never be defined by their past.

Useful organisations:

BUBIC (Bringing Unity Back Into the Community)- Community-led organisation supporting people affected by crime, substance use and social exclusion through peer support, outreach and recovery services.
Narcotics Anonymous (NA)- Peer support meetings for people recovering from drug addiction.
Unlock- Independent charity providing information and advice for people with criminal records, including employment, disclosure and DBS checks.
Churchill Fellowship- Find out more about Churchill Fellowships and how to apply for funding to research an issue you're passionate about and bring new ideas back to the UK.

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: podcasts@prison.radio
✉️ 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.

In this episode of Cellmate To CEO, Tony Supreme talks to Chris Sylvester.  Chris is the founder of Getting Clean, an organisation ‘reducing crime and grime’ by supporting people with addiction issues by making and selling soap. Chris also runs LERO Leeds, a lived experience recovery organisation, promoting inclusive recovery.

Chris shares the remarkable journey that took him from heroin addiction which began at the age of 12, years of offending and multiple prison sentences, to building an award-winning social enterprise with purpose at its heart.

He reflects on the people who helped him turn his life around, the power of recovery, and why meaningful employment and community can play such an important role in helping people rebuild their lives.

Tony is the CEO of Soul Surge Wellness & Soul Surge and has lived experience of the criminal justice system himself. In this inspirational series, he talks to other CEOs, leaders and changemakers about their transition from prison to leadership.

Useful organisations:

Getting Clean- An organisation whose moto is ‘to ensure all addicts in the UK have access to peer-support and employment opportunities.’
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) – Peer support meetings for people recovering from drug addiction.
LERO Leeds- (Lived Experience Recovery Organisation) - challenging stigma and changing the perception of addiction within society

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: podcasts@prison.radio
✉️ 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.

Tony Supreme is back with a brand new series of Cellmate to CEO. Tony is the CEO of Soul Surge Wellness & Soul Surge and has lived experience of the criminal justice system himself. In this inspirational series, he talks to other CEOs, leaders and changemakers about their transition from prison to leadership.
In this episode, Tony talks to Carlotta Allum, founder of Stretch, a charity supporting people affected by prison, homelessness, addiction and social exclusion through creativity, digital skills and storytelling. Carlotta is also a qualified teacher, researcher, PhD student and recently elected Green Party councillor.
Carlotta shares the extraordinary journey that took her from a detention centre in Los Angeles, where she believed she was facing a ten-year prison sentence, to becoming a charity founder, researcher and elected public representative. She reflects on rebuilding her life after prison, the barriers of living with a criminal record, why lived experience matters, and how storytelling can help people rewrite their futures.

Useful organisations:

Stretch - Supporting people affected by prison, homelessness, addiction and social exclusion through creativity, culture and digital inclusion.
Unlock - Information and advice for people with criminal records, including disclosure, employment and DBS checks.
Nacro - Support with employment, housing, education and resettlement after prison.

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: podcasts@prison.radio
✉️ Write: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.