Prisoners continue to surprise us with their extraodinary story telling and ability to deliver cutting edge radio

30.11.09

As part of my wider remit, last week I attended the Prison Radio Association’s second annual conference at Warwick University.  We have come a long way in the last 12 months – we  have a three contract with the Prison Service and  are setting up the world’s first national prison radio service!  As always it is the prison radio clips done by prisoners with their tutors and radio station managers which remind us why radio is such a unique  confidence raising and educational tool.

Prisoners continue to surprise us with their extraodinary story telling and ability to deliver cutting edge radio.

On Thursday on behalf of the Griffins Society, Clinks, Women in Prison and the MOJ I co-chaired the Women in Focus conference  celebrating much of the excellent work which has come out of the Corston Agenda and the subsequent funding.  Maria Eagle remains the exemplary champion for women offenders and again, it was listening to Wendy Cranmer who is one the Griffins trustees, tell the story of her experience of going into the criminal justice system that confirms that we must do absolutely everything we can to keep low level, non-violent  offenders out of prison – whether they be male or female.

Finally, the work being done by all those organisations working with women is proving undoubtedly that appropriate, focussed and challenging alternatives to custody really can reduce crime.

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