Today on the couch, we’re joined by someone whose story goes beyond music. A respected voice in UK rap for over 20 years, he’s starred in Top Boy and worked with Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen. He’s been through the criminal justice system and come out the other side, using his voice to reflect, rebuild, and speak the truth. Since returning, his consistency and talent have earned him the 2025 MOBO Award for Best Grime Act. This conversation isn’t just about bars or fame – it’s about accountability, growth, and what life really looks like after prison.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful organisations:

• Changing Tunes – Uses the power of music‑making to support people in prison, young offenders and those post‑release.
• Key 4 Life – Work with young people at risk of offending or reoffending, using education, mentoring, and employment support to help them build positive futures.

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.

Today’s episode is a bit different – because we’re inside HMP Brixton, recording in front of a live audience of the men who live here. And we’re joined by the Governor of Brixton herself. Usually, we hear stories from people with lived experience, but today we’re exploring things from the other side: why she wanted this role, what it was like stepping into Brixton, and what day-to-day life looks like as a governor.

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.

Complete our 2025 Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/smJxoWJhr66qKG4Q7

We’d love to hear from you! Every year, we ask the Life After Prison audience to complete a short survey. Your answers help us understand what’s working, what we can improve, and they also help us show our funders the real impact of the show. It only takes a few minutes and your feedback really does make a difference.

Today, we’re joined by Karen Howell-Ball – a lived-experience speaker whose journey is one of real transformation. After serving time at Askham Grange Prison, Karen rebuilt her life from the ground up. She’s now using her experiences of abuse, trauma and criminal exploitation to help others break free from those same cycles. In this episode, we’ll hear how Karen turned her pain into purpose, what life after prison looked like for her, and how she’s now empowering young people and women to find hope and success beyond the justice system.

This podcast is also available as a video – just search Life After Prison on YouTube.

Useful organisations:

Advance – Support for women affected by the criminal justice system, domestic abuse, and trauma. They run women’s centres across London and help with housing, employment, and wellbeing.

https://www.advancecharity.org.uk

Women in Prison – Advocacy and support for women in the justice system. They focus on helping women rebuild their lives after release and campaign for reform.

https://www.womeninprison.org.uk

Refuge – The UK’s largest domestic abuse organisation offering safe accommodation, a 24-hour helpline, and online support.

https://www.refuge.org.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.