Life After Prison: Popular podcast receives £500k National Lottery grant
A popular podcast series which helps ex-offenders adapt to life outside prison has received almost £500,000 in National Lottery funding.
The Prison Radio Association has been awarded the grant by The National Lottery Community Fund, to continue its Life After Prison podcast series, which provides advice and guidance to former and current prisoners, as they look to build crime-free lives after release from prison.
Life After Prison also provides information and guidance to the family members and loved ones of people in prison, and others affected by the criminal justice system.
Presented by two ex-offenders, Zak Addae-Kodua, 32, and Jules Rowan, 27, from a recording studio in Brixton, Life After Prison features practical advice and signposting to support services to help with housing, addiction, employment, mental health and finance.
Ms Rowan said: “There’s no rule book or guide when you get out of prison, so it’s massive for people to be able to relate to one another and know that there are people out there in a similar situation.
“It’s important that these topics aren’t viewed as weird and scary, and that there are safe spaces like this to come to.”
Mr Addae-Kodua and Ms Rowan said they both struggled following their release. Ms Rowan found it difficult to relate to others and felt unable to open up about her experiences, while Mr Addae-Kodua felt he faced discrimination whilst navigating employment.
Tim Colman, director of development at The Prison Radio Association, said: “Leaving prison can be the start of a complicated and confusing period in someone’s life.
“Most prison leavers have to navigate a range of appointments and requirements, find employment in difficult circumstances, and rebuild family relationships.
“The odds can be massively stacked against them, which is why it is no surprise that more than half of all prisoners serving sentences of 12 months or less go on to reoffend.
“Life After Prison is there to support people through this maze and help them find the inspiration and support.”
But Life After Prison does more than help former prisoners. It also provides valuable insights to professionals working alongside them as part of their rehabilitation. The series features interviews with guests, which have previously included 35-year-old social worker, Nequela Whittaker, from Clapham.
With the funding, Mr Addae-Kodua and Ms Rowan plan to expand the scope of the podcast content, as well as grow the team’s social media and production teams.
Mr Addae-Kodua said: “Thank you so much to The National Lottery Community Fund and National Lottery players. Without you, we wouldn’t be reaching hundreds of thousands of people who are trying to build positive lives after prison.”
Life After Prison can be accessed via Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and YouTube. It is also available via National Prison Radio, and as on-demand content via the Digital Content Hub, which is available in 15 UK prisons.
Emma Corrigan, England Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “The Prison Radio Association is doing amazing work to support former prisoners in their rehabilitation journey, so they can once again become part of their community.”
Pictured top: Jules Rowan and Zak Addae-Kodua on set of their Life After Prison podcast (Picture: Life After Prison)