The Secret Life of Prisons

Ep3: Agents of change on the inside

A special series of podcasts recorded live in association with the University of Liverpool’s Making Space for Radical Imagination project.

Academics from the University of Liverpool ran a series of Challenge Labs, taking views from across society about crime and justice. The Labs included people working within the criminal justice system, people who have been convicted of crimes and been through the system, people who have experienced criminal harm and wider members of society who have an interest in the impact of criminal harm and how to reduce it. They challenged participants to reimagine a justice system that would deliver their expectations and make society safer and better for everyone. Then asked them what was getting in the way.

In this series of podcasts the guests on our panel discuss some of the findings from those workshops.

Guests:
Marc Conway - Director of Fair Justice, a consultancy which supports change in the criminal justice system. CEO of UNGRIPP, which campaigns for the rights of people who have received IPP sentences.

Dr. Dominique Walker - Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Justice at Liverpool John Moores University, and the Chair of the Anthony Walker Foundation, a charity that aims to combat racism and hate crime which was set up in memory of Dominique's brother who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 2006.

Aaliyah Calland - Probation Officer in the north-west of England with experience of working with people serving a wide variety of sentences, including people who are on licence after being released from prison.

Emma Stuart - Head of Rehabilitative Services at the Forward Trust, a charity that helps people leave crime behind and also supports those recovering from addiction. Emma was previously a prison governor and has extensive experience in academia and the charity sector.

Presenter: Faye Dunn
Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Nathan Moore
Live sound engineers: Joshua Lorenz and Lucy Harper

With thanks to Dr. Ruth Armstrong, Professor Shadd Maruna, and Dr. Laura Naeglar who led the project

The Making Space for Radical Imagination Project was funded by UK Research and Innovation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep2: What do crime victims want?

A special series of podcasts recorded live in association with the University of Liverpool’s Making Space for Radical Imagination project.

Academics from the University of Liverpool ran a series of Challenge Labs, taking views from across society about crime and justice. The Labs included people working within the criminal justice system, people who have been convicted of crimes and been through the system, people who have experienced criminal harm and wider members of society who have an interest in the impact of criminal harm and how to reduce it. They challenged participants to reimagine a justice system that would deliver their expectations and make society safer and better for everyone. Then asked them what was getting in the way.

In this series of podcasts the guests on our panel discuss some of the findings from those workshops.

Guests:
Marc Conway - Director of Fair Justice, a consultancy which supports change in the criminal justice system. CEO of UNGRIPP, which campaigns for the rights of people who have received IPP sentences.

Dr. Dominique Walker - Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Justice at Liverpool John Moores University, and the Chair of the Anthony Walker Foundation, a charity that aims to combat racism and hate crime which was set up in memory of Dominique's brother who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 2006.

Aaliyah Calland - Probation Officer in the north-west of England with experience of working with people serving a wide variety of sentences, including people who are on licence after being released from prison.

Emma Stuart - Head of Rehabilitative Services at the Forward Trust, a charity that helps people leave crime behind and also supports those recovering from addiction. Emma was previously a prison governor and has extensive experience in academia and the charity sector.

Presenter: Faye Dunn
Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Nathan Moore
Live sound engineers: Joshua Lorenz and Lucy Harper

With thanks to Dr. Ruth Armstrong, Professor Shadd Maruna, and Dr. Laura Naeglar who led the project

The Making Space for Radical Imagination Project was funded by UK Research and Innovation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep1: Can prisoners (and prisons) change?

A special series of podcasts recorded live in association with the University of Liverpool’s Making Space for Radical Imagination project.

Academics from the University of Liverpool ran a series of Challenge Labs, taking views from across society about crime and justice. The Labs included people working within the criminal justice system, people who have been convicted of crimes and been through the system, people who have experienced criminal harm and wider members of society who have an interest in the impact of criminal harm and how to reduce it. They challenged participants to reimagine a justice system that would deliver their expectations and make society safer and better for everyone. Then asked them what was getting in the way.

In this series of podcasts the guests on our panel discuss some of the findings from those workshops.

Guests:
Marc Conway - Director of Fair Justice, a consultancy which supports change in the criminal justice system. CEO of UNGRIPP, which campaigns for the rights of people who have received IPP sentences.

Dr. Dominique Walker - Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Justice at Liverpool John Moores University, and the Chair of the Anthony Walker Foundation, a charity that aims to combat racism and hate crime which was set up in memory of Dominique's brother who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 2006.

Aaliyah Calland - Probation Officer in the north-west of England with experience of working with people serving a wide variety of sentences, including people who are on licence after being released from prison.

Emma Stuart - Head of Rehabilitative Services at the Forward Trust, a charity that helps people leave crime behind and also supports those recovering from addiction. Emma was previously a prison governor and has extensive experience in academia and the charity sector.

Presenter: Faye Dunn
Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Nathan Moore
Live sound engineers: Joshua Lorenz and Lucy Harper

With thanks to Dr. Ruth Armstrong, Professor Shadd Maruna, and Dr. Laura Naeglar who led the project

The Making Space for Radical Imagination Project was funded by UK Research and Innovation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Sentencing Act 2026 receives royal assent, Phil and Paula take to the stage at Conway Hall in London as part of the Clinks annual conference 2026.

Lord James Timpson was Chief Executive of Timpsons, where he pioneered the employment, at scale, of people who have been through the criminal justice system. He was Chair of the Prison Reform Trust before joining government in 2024 as Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending.

Anne Fox is the outgoing Chief Executive of Clinks, the charity that represents voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system.

Presenters:
Phil Maguire
Paula Harriott

Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate.

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons. His father and brother spent time behind bars and he wrote a memoir, The Life Inside, about his career in prisons which we featured in an episode back in May 2025. That book has now been adapted for a BBC1 series, Waiting For The Out, which starts in the new year.

Ric Renton spent time in three prisons in the north-east of England, including HMP Durham. He is now a writer and actor and was part of the writers room for Waiting For The Out, as well as playing a character in the drama.

You can catch Waiting For The Out on BBC iPlayer here.

Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, Unlock

Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye Dunn

The Prison Radio Association is a charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people serving prison sentences. We employ people in prison to develop their skills, find their best voices and help them discover ways to lead crime-free lives after release.

To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate.

To contact the show, please email podcasts@prison.radio.

Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.