The Prison Radio Association: Hope on the Airwaves

“It’s easy for people to get the wrong idea about National Prison Radio,” says Tim Colman, Director of Development at the Prison Radio Association.

One common assumption is that it’s a traditional radio station that people on the outside can listen to, whereas National Prison Radio is very much for prisoners by prisoners. People in prison can tune in to the radio station via one of the channels on the TV in their cell.

Another misconception is that it’s live radio put together in a fairly ad-hoc way. “In fact, all our programmes are pre-recorded,” says Tim, “and our production team is led by professionals who’ve worked at the BBC and other well-known radio stations. We’re not putting out shows that someone’s recorded on their iPhone!”

Perhaps the most significant misunderstanding, though, is that prison radio is simply entertainment, a mix of music and chat to help prisoners pass the time. This couldn’t be further from the case.

“Uniquely, National Prison Radio is able to engage the hard-to-reach prison audience in a way that doesn’t require people to be able to read or write,” says Tim. “Our programmes are designed to let prisoners know about the services and support that’s available, providing information that will help them turn away from crime.”

National Prison Radio is the world’s first national radio station for people in prison. It started in 2009 and now broadcasts into prison cells across England and Wales 24 hours a day, seven days a week from its bases at HMP Brixton and HMPYOI Styal. Around 76% of prisoners listen to National Prison Radio, which means it reaches about 60,800 people behind bars. Of those, 34% listen every day and 76% say the station has inspired them to make positive changes.

As part of its long-standing commitment to supporting charitable work in prisoner rehabilitation, the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity has awarded the Prison Radio Association a grant of £90,000 for a three-year period between 2019-2022.

The Prison Radio Association, which produces National Prison Radio, works with around 200 organisations a year, including the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the National Literacy Trust and The Samaritans. 

National Prison Radio programmes focus on areas that are known to help reduce the risk of reoffending, such as accommodation, employment, education, relationships, health, finance and attitude.

The day starts with a breakfast programme called Porridge, which sets an upbeat tone. Next up is music, with shows dedicated to rap, grime and R&B, Asian beats, rock, and reggae and dancehall classics. The station also hosts an extremely popular Family & Friends Request Show. 

“Our programmes are hosted by people who are in prison or who have been to prison,” says Tim. “Presenters talk in a way that our audience can relate to, which allows us to sow the seeds of ideas that could create long-lasting change for people.”

“National Prison Radio generates a real sense of community, not just within prisons, but also across prisons,” adds Evie Dickinson, Fundraising Manager at the PRA. “It’s a powerful tool for helping people feel like they can connect with the world outside prison walls.

 “It clearly improves the way people feel about themselves. The presenters talk about people as human beings, rather than labelling them as offenders, so that they’re not always defined by their past. It’s super powerful.”

The Prison Radio Association receives nearly 4,000 messages every month from people in prison. In 2021, when prisoners were locked up for up to 23 ½ hours a day, a prisoner from HMP Preston wrote to say: “Without NPR I would really have struggled. Without NPR I think I’d be dead by now, so I just wanted to thank you.”

The Prison Radio Association works with teams of prisoners in HMP Brixton and HMPYOI Styal, offering training in radio presentation and production skills, as well as mentoring, visits to prospective employers and opportunities for further training, volunteering and employment after release.

“Our colleagues go into prison and proactively recruit people,” says Tim. “We look for prisoners who have relatively long sentences, so we have time to take them through the training, and we don’t take on people who have committed serious violent crimes or offences of a sexual nature.”

As a result of the charity’s resettlement work, two people have completed BBC training schemes, two have progressed to university, three have gone through Only Connect training, one person has set up his own business and another is now working at BBC Radio 1xtra.

Ali is one of the charity’s success stories. “He’s a great example of how prison radio can help former prisoners build a really interesting career for themselves,” says Tim.

Ali started working for National Prison Radio while serving a sentence at HMP Brixton. He says: “I developed my interviewing skills and my computing skills. The staff here encourage you to do more and to believe in yourself.”

On release from prison, he stayed in touch with the team, which helped him make the difficult transition from prison back into the community. Ali is now a permanent member of staff at the Prison Radio Association, where he presents and produces Porridge, the flagship breakfast show.

The grant from the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity has helped fund the strategic work of the PRA’s senior management team and enabled the charity to continue to work during the pandemic. 

“The grant from Goldsmiths is for core funding, which is so rare nowadays,” says Tim. “It’s a huge help to receive a grant that’s not restricted to a certain project or salary. It gives us great freedom. The support from Goldsmiths has also enabled us to leverage other funding, as it’s such a well-respected organisation.”

Despite ongoing challenges, the PRA is focusing on opportunities for the future.

“We have new premises in Brixton where we can work with former prisoners, we’re expanding our work at HMPYOI Styal, and we’re developing our Life After Prison podcast channel where inspirational role models share their journeys,” says Tim.

“It feels as though 2023 could be a really big year for the organisation,” he adds. “It’s very exciting.”