Episodios
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Greg Eskridge was released from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in California, formerly known as San Quentin state prison, on 23 July 2024 after serving 30 years and 25 days.
In prison Greg became a founding member of the Uncuffed radio program and podcast, a project run by the public radio station KALW.
Greg now works full-time as Uncuffed’s first Leadership Fellow, preparing him for leadership roles in the project.
Eli Wirtschafter is the Program Director for Uncuffed and got to know Greg through his work behind the walls of San Quentin. He trains people in California prisons how to produce radio and podcasts, developing professional broadcasting skills and creating shows.
Listen to the Uncuffed podcast.
The Secret Life of Prisons wishes you a very happy Christmas. We'll be back in the new year with weekly shows dropping every Monday.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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In November the Sentencing Academy, a charity that aims to improve public understanding of sentencing in England and Wales, released a piece of research entitled 'Who is in prison and what is the purpose of imprisonment?'.
It concluded that most people know very little about prisons.
To test these findings, Phil and Paula went to stand outside the Central Criminal Court in London, better known as the Old Bailey, to ask Londoners about their views on crime, prisons and the people who live in them.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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Sarah Moore was exposed to the most dangerous situations imaginable during a seven-year period in which she disappeared from her family's life. She wanted to protect them from the effects of her chaotic lifestyle and mental ill-health, both of which she struggled to manage.
She is now a criminal justice practitioner working at Anawim, a Women's Centre in Birmingham.
Sonya Ruparel is the Chief Executive of Women in Prison, a charity that supports women affected by the criminal justice system and campaigns to end the harms associated with the imprisonment of women.
You can submit evidence to the Independent Sentencing Reivew here.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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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.
This week we are participating in The Big Give, a national fundraising campaign.
So in this week's show, we wanted to introduce you to five people who went to prison and now all have careers in broadcasting, thanks to their work with the Prison Radio Association.
Ali Ali is National Prison Radio's breakfast show host and the winner of a silver award at the 2024 ARIAS in the Best New Voice category.
Jules Rowan is one of the multi award-winning hosts of Life After Prison, our podcast for people who have been released from prison.
Nico Constantinou was in prison this time last year, where he learned about radio production. After he was released he took part in our Outside In traineeship and is now working at BBC Radio 1Xtra.
Garth St Clair is the founder of Rise Maximum Radio, which broadcasts from Arouca Maximum Security Prison near Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobage.
The Fantastic Faye Dunn was in Styal prison near Manchester in November 2022 when she was approached by the National Prison Radio team to take part in a programme. Since then she's worked incredibly hard to develop her skills and has impressed the team so much that she now works full-time for the charity on a range of shows, including being the Assistant Producer of this podcast!
If you donate to us before Tuesday 10 December, your donation will be doubled! To make a donation, go to prison.radio/biggive.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnRegistered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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Sean Henry received multiple prison terms through his early adult life. But receiving a long sentence for a serious offence when his son was just two months old, Sean discovered a different perspective on his own life and the way he had been acting.
With precious support from key people in his life, including his son's mother and their extended family, Sean gradually but decisively made the changes that have transformed his future. His son is now an adult and Sean is able to reflect on why things turned out for him the way they did.
Sean now works for Sussex Prisoners Families, as well as working with young people who are at risk of following the path Sean followed.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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On Monday 11 November 2024, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe delivered the annual Longford Lecture at Church House in Westminster.
Nazanin was imprisoned in 2016 at the end of a family visit to Iran, accused of plotting to overthrow the government by running courses in journalism that the Iranian regime said aimed to train people to spread propaganda against Iran.
She vehemently denied these charges but remained in prison until 2022.
In this year's emotional Longford Lecture, she tells us what she learnt from the experience and explains her passion for penal reform.
For more information about the Longford Trust, visit www.longfordtrust.org
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe Prison Radio Association 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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Tyler Voase was released from prison in the summer of 2024.
He first went into jail in 2022 weighing over 40 stone, and with the support of a well-thought-through and timely intervention from gym staff he reinvented himself, losing 18 stone while in HMP Feltham.
Samy Ali is a Physical Education Instructor (PEI) at HMP Feltham, and he was the member of staff who knocked on Tyler's cell door one day to offer him a job working in the gym.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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Matthew Torbitt is a writer and broadcaster. A period of homelessness as a young man led to involvement in crime, for which he received a sentence. These experiences fed a political awakening and a career working with the Labour Party.
Matthew now writes and tours television studios commentating on politics. He joins us down the line from Washington DC.
Ben Zaranko is a Senior Research Economist for the Institute for Fiscal Studies. He is about to start work on a major research project using new data from the Ministry of Justice to assess the economic impacts of the justice system.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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Dwaine Patterson spent 22 years in prison. For seven of those years he was one of a handful of people detained in Close Supervision Centres (CSCs).
CSCs are prisons within prisons, housing those people said to be the most dangerous and disruptive in the entire prison system.
In this remarkable interview, Dwaine describes what it was like to be deemed so dangerous that seven prison officers in riot gear plus a dog handler were required just to unlock his door.
Claire Salama is a solicitor who specialises in the law around imprisonment. She works for the Howard League for Penal Reform and has represented several people who have been housed in CSCs and other segregation units.
You can contact the Howard League's legal advice line here.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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David Shipley served a prison sentence for fraud. He had never known anyone who had come into contact with the criminal justice system prior to his conviction. His sentence was eye-opening for him. He became 'radicalised' by the experience and promised himself he would do everything he could after release to talk as widely as possible about the reality of imprisonment.
He now writes a regular column in The Spectator magazine and appears widely on TV, radio and in the press.
Danny Shaw was a Home Affairs Correspondent for BBC News, covering crime and justice stories, for more than 30 years. He later became a senior political advisor to Yvette Cooper, the then shadow Home Secretary, ahead of the general election. He’s now a freelance journalist with bylines in the Daily Telegraph, the Times, the Guardian and the New Statesman to name just a few.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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Simon Madu was released from prison in 2021 after serving twelve years in prison. He remains 'on licence' and must report to his probation officer regularly as part of his continuing sentence.
However, Simon is also a member of staff at His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, as the Engagement Lead for a pioneering project called Engaging People on Probation (EPOP). As such, his probation officer is also a colleague in the probation service.
Simon's role is to support 'peer mentors' – people who have experience of the justice system who volunteer to offer support and guidance to others who are coming out of prison.
Danielle Bond is the Peer Mentor Coordinator for EPOP.
Simon and Danielle explain the positive role peer mentors can play in the life of people released from prison. Peer mentors are all people who have been to prison or been subject to probation supervision. They are on the front line of efforts to help people avoid committing further offences after release from prison.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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In 2004, Paula was imprisoned for eight years for a drugs offence.
Twenty years later, she is the trailblazing Chief Executive of a prominent national charity, being cited multiple times for her pioneering work in the criminal justice sector by none other than the Minister of State for Justice, and noted by The Times of London as an 'intutitive broadcaster'.
In today's emotional episode, Paula fills in the space over those two decades to describe the enormous challenges that come with being released from prison, and what she's learnt from the events that have led to her becoming a leading light in the campaign for a better justice system.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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The Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool was built in 1846 and was the first structure in Britain to be constructed from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result, it was the first non-combustible warehouse system in the world.
It was also the venue for the 2024 Labour Party Conference, and Phil and Paula took the opportunity to return to Liverpool to listen to James Timpson, a newly-appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Justice, for the first time since his appointment.
Journalist and conference veteran Paul Mason explains what the Labour Party Conference is all about, while our fantastic Assistant Producer Faye Dunn gives her view on her very first conference, coming just two months after her release from prison.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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In 2021 Tony was told by a nurse in HMP Ford that she suspected he had cancer.
Over the following years, Tony has experienced frustration and fear but also received heart-warming empathy and kindness from the staff at the Fernhurst Centre at St. Richards Hospital, Chichester, and in particular from Marion Misselbrook, a Macmillan Information and Support Worker who was invited by the Governor of HMP Ford to offer support to prisoners undergoing cancer treatment.
In this very special edition of The Secret Life of Prisons, we reunite Tony and Marion to hear their emotional and at times shocking account of cancer care in prison.
What can we learn from Tony and Marion’s remarkable relationship and trust that can improve outcomes for people in prison?
We also hear from Professor Jo Armes, a researcher from the University of Surrey who contributed to a study entitled Improving Cancer Care in Prisons which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
You can download the report Improving Cancer Care in Prisons here.
The research findings have also been adapted by the Synergy Theatre Project into a film, Cancer Cells, which you can watch here.
If you are caring for someone who is receiving cancer treatment, you can find out about support you may be entitled to, as well as lots of other resources here.
To make a donation to Macmillan Cancer Support visit donation.macmillan.org.uk.
Our thanks to the staff and volunteers of The Fernhurst Centre at St. Richards Hospital, Chichester for hosting our recording.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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Ben Jones and Steve Girling are the hosts of Hold or Fold, a brand-new podcast from the Prison Radio Association that supports people who suffer from gambling addiction.
Ben and Steve both went to prison for offences linked to their gambling. After release, both men realised that there were gaps in screening for gambling addiction in prison and in the provision of services for recovery. They worked with the Prison Radio Association to start Hold or Fold as a programme on National Prison Radio. Thanks to funding from GambleAware, that programme continues to broadcast on the radio into prison cells and it's now available to listeners on the outside as a brand-new podcast.
Steve co-founded and runs Reframe Coaching, which offers support and guidance for those affected by problem gambling.
Ben has started a recovery service in Nottingham called TimeOut, which is part of the charity Double Impact.
If you're affected by gambling harms, there are a number of organisations who can help. Here are links to just a few:
Gordon Moody Reframe Coaching Gamlearn Gamfam Gamcare Bet Know More Breakeven Gambler’s AnonymousPresenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
Assistant Producer: Faye DunnThe 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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What role does food play in the daily lives of women in prison?
Libby is the Head Chef at The Edge at Joey Orr’s, an award-winning restaurant in Liverpool. She spent time in Styal and New Hall prisons, where she had contrasting experiences of the culture around food behind bars.
You can visit The Edge at Joey Orr’s by booking a table here.
Dr. Erin Power is a Lecturer in Criminology at Liverpool John Moores University. Previously, she was a Research Fellow at the University of Surrey on a 2-year research project entitled Doing Porridge: Understanding women’s experiences of food in prison.
You can read more about Doing Porridge here.
You can order the Beyond Porridge recipe book mentioned in the podcast here.
An animation has been produced from project’s findings Here
An art exhibition from the project in partnership with Koestler Arts is entitled ‘On my Plate’
The research project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and this episode was funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration fund at the University of Surrey.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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Phil and Paula are outside HMP Liverpool, aka Walton Jail, to talk to passers-by about what they think of prisons and the people inside them.
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Chief Executive, UnlockProducer: Andrew Wilkie
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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate.
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On Wednesday 22 November 2023, Rory Stewart delivered the annual Longford Lecture at Church House in Westminster.
Rory's lecture was entitled, Rhetoric vs Reality: My Journey as Prisons Minister. It addressed why politics is ill-equipped to deal with the crisis in prisons, and what we might be able to do to change this.
For more information about the Longford Trust, visit www.longfordtrust.org
This episode was originally released on this feed in December 2023
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform TrustProducer: Andrew Wilkie
The Prison Radio Association 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate.
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How to survive a life sentence
We're back in the studio with two people who have been to prison and are now outside living with a 'life licence', to talk about 'hooks for change' and the what happens as the reality of being a 'lifer' dawns on you.
They join Phil and Paula in the studio, along with criminologists Serena Wright and Ben Crewe.
Serena is a researcher and Lecturer in Criminology in the Department of Law and Criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. Her research on prisons and penology has focused on short-term sentences and post-release ‘frustrated desistance’ among women, and the experience of long-term incarceration among life-sentenced prisoners.
Ben is Deputy Director of the Prisons Research Centre at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge. He is interested in all aspects of prison life, including prison management, staff-prisoner relationships, public and private sector imprisonment, penal power and prisoner social life.
Further reading:
Experiencing long-term imprisonment from young adulthood (Wright, Crewe, Hulley): Ministry of Justice
Life Imprisonment from Young Adulthood (Wright, Crewe, Hulley): Palgrave Macmillan
This episode was originally released on this feed in November 2021
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform TrustProducer: Andrew Wilkie
The Prison Radio Association 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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The Secret Life of Prisons is produced by a charity, the Prison Radio Association. To make a donation please visit prison.radio/donate.
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What is it like to receive a life sentence?
We're joined by two people who have had this experience - both have been to prison and are now outside living with a 'life licence'.
They join Phil and Paula in the studio, along with criminologists Serena Wright and Susie Hulley.
Serena is a researcher and Lecturer in Criminology in the Department of Law and Criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. Her research on prisons and penology has focused on short-term sentences and post-release ‘frustrated desistance’ among women, and the experience of long-term incarceration among life-sentenced prisoners.
Susie is a Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge. She is interested in how young people are affected by the criminal justice system, particularly their experiences of criminalisation and imprisonment. Her recent work focuses on the application of ‘joint enterprise’ by criminal justice practitioners (including lawyers and the police) and the impact of this legal doctrine on young people.
Further reading:
Experiencing long-term imprisonment from young adulthood (Wright, Crewe, Hulley): Ministry of Justice
Life Imprisonment from Young Adulthood (Wright, Crewe, Hulley): Palgrave Macmillan
This episode was originally released on this feed in November 2021
Presenters:
Phil Maguire – Chief Executive, Prison Radio Association
Paula Harriott – Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform TrustProducer: Andrew Wilkie
The Prison Radio Association 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.
Registered Charity in England & Wales 1114760
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