Life After Prison

Legacy Chats Sits Down With Life After Prison

Today on Life After Prison, Zak is joined by Rory Newton, host of Legacy Chats. Raised in Luton and shaped by early loss and instability, Rory found himself caught between two worlds — trying to move forward while still tied to his past. In his early twenties, that led him down a path he’d tried to avoid, resulting in a prison sentence for intent to supply Class A drugs. But this conversation isn’t about the crime — it’s about what came after. From prison to rebuilding, setbacks, fatherhood, and finding purpose, Rory is now using his story to challenge others to take accountability and build a better legacy. Organisations: Spark2Life - Committed to preventing youth offending and promoting emotional wellbeing in children and young adults (11–30 years old), particularly those facing exclusion, exploitation, or criminal justice involvement. https://spark2life.co.uk/ XO Bikes (London) - Trains and employ ex-offenders as bicycle mechanics, providing prison-based training and post-release work opportunities to reduce reoffending and support community reintegration. https://xobikes.com/ Samaritans - Provides free, confidential emotional support to anyone who is struggling to cope, experiencing distress, or having thoughts of suicide.This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. 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.

My Addiction Consumed Years of My Life - Tim Haigh

This week on Life After Prison, Jules is joined by Tim Haigh.Growing up around poverty, instability and trauma, he found himself caught up in crime from a young age. As a teenager, he was sentenced to nearly ten years in prison, and after his release became trapped in a cycle of addiction, offending and destructive choices that affected every part of his life. He lost friends, spent years battling heroin addiction, and reached a point where he knew something had to change. Instead of becoming another statistic, he made the decision to rebuild. Today, he’s been clean for more than two decades, works with young people, prisons and communities, and has written a book called The Leopard That Changed His Spots, sharing the lessons from a journey that took him from prison and addiction to a life of purpose. Organisations: Lived Experience Speakers - Uses real-life stories and lived experience to educate, inspire, and empower young people, helping them make positive choices and avoid crime, gangs, and exploitation. The organisation delivers workshops in schools, prisons, colleges, and community settings, focusing on prevention, rehabilitation, and personal development. Switchback - Support young men leaving prison to build stable, meaningful lives through intensive one-to-one mentoring, employment support, and personal development. Aspire2Change – They work with young people and adults at risk of offending or reoffending, offering mentoring, education, and skills training. Their focus is on building confidence, resilience, and opportunities to support positive life choices and reduce involvement in crime. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. 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.

If Not For Acting, I'd Be Serving A Life Sentence - Frank Skully

Today’s guest has a story like no other. Growing up in the 70s, facing racism and rejection, he soon became involved in organised crime and serving years inside. After decades trapped in a cycle of crime and prison, everything changed during his final sentence, when a theatre company cast him in a production that would completely transform the direction of his life. Now 20 years on, he’s remained crime free, using creativity, storytelling, and lived experience to inspire others and encourage change both inside and outside the prison system. OrginsationsSynegry Theatre - work with people affected by the criminal justice system, using theatre and the arts to support rehabilitation, build skills, and create pathways into education and employment. They delivers workshops, training, and professional productions both in prisons and in the community. Prison reform trust ‘Building Futures program’ - supporting people serving long prison sentences by giving them a voice in shaping prison policy and rehabilitation. The project focuses on leadership, hope, self-advocacy, and preparing people for life beyond prison. This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube. 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.

You Must Meet People Where They Are, To Help Them Grow - Donell & Jeffrey

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-5This 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: 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.

From Being Labelled The Devil to Delivering Hope - Sosa Henkoma

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.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.