The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate. The podcast tells the hidden stories from behind bars. Paula Harriott is Chief Executive of Unlock. She spent time in prison and now works to help those who have been to prison to contribute to the debate around crime and justice. Phil Maguire is the Chief Executive of the Prison Radio Association. He's worked in prisons for two decades and received an OBE for services to radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes
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47 min
Live at Clinks Conference 2026 | Lord James Timpson and Anne Fox
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 Chie…
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32 min
Waiting For The Out | Andy West and Ric Renton
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 e…
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33 min
Christmas Special: Louis Theroux Live at the Radio Festival
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 fro…
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46 min
Phil's mic drop
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, w…
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40 min
How the press reports crime | Beatrice Auty and Charlie Moloney
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 i…
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1 h 00
A gold award-winning episode of The Secret Life of Prisons
The Audio Production Awards take place every year to honour the very best in radio and podcast production in the UK. They're run by Audio UK, which represents audio producers, and…
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37 min
*The Big Give 2025* | Faye Dunn and Toni Garrigos
If you would like to support the Prison Radio Association, visit prison.radio/biggive and your donation will be doubled!Faye Dunn and Toni Garrigos first met each other while servi…
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30 min
Inside a Drug Recovery Wing | Wayne Hickman and Ash
Drug Recovery Wings are specialist units in prisons that work to help people dealing with addictions as part of their prison sentences.Ash is no stranger to imprisonment and has li…
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56 min
The Longford Lecture 2025 | Dame Rachel De Souza, Angus Stobie, Jeremy Howe
The Longford Lecture is a centrepiece event of the criminal justice sector's year. Run by the Longford Trust, a charity that provides opportunities for study and mentoring for peop…
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37 min
The Prison Photographer | Andy Aitchison
Andy Aitchison has been photographing prisons for more than 20 years. He selects five of his favourite photographs of prisons and talks to us about what we can learn from prisons b…
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24 min
Charlie's Promise | Martin Cosser
In the summer of 2023, 17 year-old Charlie Cosser went to an organised house party in a small village in West Sussex and never came home. A fight broke out on the dance floor and C…
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38 min
A life sentence | Sarah
Sarah was released from prison after spending 16 years behind bars as part of a life sentence. She was released to an approved premises two hours away from her friends and family.…
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38 min
The day after the death of Ian Watkins | Tom Wheatley
Ian Watkins, the disgraced former front man of the rock band Lostprophets, died in HMP Wakefield on Saturday 11 October. Two men have been charged with his murder. Watkins was serv…
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39 min
Changing Tunes | Isie Potter and Laura
When Laura found herself in HMP Eastwood Park serving the latest of a string of prison terms, something magical happened when she met Isie Potter, a music teacher who had recently…
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40 min
What is criminology? | Live from the University of Greenwich | Shahid Amin and Dr Ruth Armstrong
Shahid Amin was serving a long sentence in HMP Grendon when he began studying criminology. This came after teenage years in which being engaged with the police and the criminal jus…
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55 min
Frank's Walk
One month into Frank Stedman's prison sentence, he lost his brother to suicide. Unable to attend the funeral, the prison put Frank into segregation because he was considered to be…
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58 min
Your questions answered | David Breakspear and Dr. Ruth Armstrong
We love receiving your questions, thoughts and comments. Email us at [email protected] this final episode before we take a summer break, we answer questions from listeners i…
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48 min
The Future of Probation: Part 3 | Martin Jones CBE, Professor Nicola Carr and Dr. Matthew Millings
In 2014, probation services in England and Wales underwent the most radical shake-up for generations in a part-privatisation process known as Transforming Rehabilitation. Seven yea…
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38 min
Windrush | James Batchelor and Colin McFarlane
James Batchelor is an educator, musician, film-maker and producer. He spent a time behind bars where he became a presenter for National Prison Radio. Jimmy has continued to work wi…
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36 min
Holloway | Tamar and Daisy-May Hudson
Tamar spent a short period of time in HMP Holloway, a women's prison in North London, in 2016. Months later, the prison was closed for good. The buildings became derelict. Several…