The Secret Life of Prisons

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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

Every year the radio industry gathers for the Radio Festival in London. The event, run by a wonderful organisation called the Radio Academy, brings together radio professionals from across the country to see the finest broadcasting talent talking about what's happening at the cutting edge of our industry.

This year's event was entitled World Of Sound, showcasing the UK as a global leader.

Phil was privileged to be asked to host a session, and as a special Christmas offering we can now bring that talk to you: Phil Maguire in conversation with none other than Louis Theroux, himself no stranger to producing award-winning media in prisons.

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 [email protected].

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

In 2006, Phil Maguire OBE left his job at the BBC to work in prisons. He joined a small group of committed, inspirational people to found a charity, the Prison Radio Association, which went on to transform how we communicate in prisons and set up the world's first national radio station for people in prison.

Phil is Chief Executive of the charity. Today, Phil has some news which he wants to share with each and every listener to The Secret Life of Prisons.

Phil's Instagram

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 [email protected].

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

Beatrice Auty was released from prison last year and has since become a Longford Scholar, pursuing her academic interest in criminology. Before prison, Beatrice visited death row in the US and dreamt of becoming a human rights lawyer. Beatrice's case and trial attracted a good deal of media attention, and since release Beatrice has appeared in the media to talk about her experiences in prison.

Charlie Moloney is a media law commentator and trainer who has recently been named the new editor of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists – the standard text that accredited journalists follow in their training. He is a veteran of reporting on court proceedings.

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 [email protected].

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