Episode 2: Who is prison for?

Available for over a year

Former 'prison wife' Josie Bevan continues her interrogation of the UK penal system by talking with some of those who've been most affected by it. She meets John Crilly, now the proud holder of a degree in law from the Open University, but formerly an addict who served 13 years for manslaughter. Josie also talks with Donna whose brother Tommy's mental health deteriorated dramatically while serving an IPP, an indeterminate sentence with no fixed end. The early experiences of both John and Tommy mirror each other and the 'prison pipeline' that can lead with alarming predictability from childhood trauma to petty crime, addiction or mental health issues and prison. Josie's previous podcast series Prison Bag - one family's unflinching confrontation with the prison system - is available on BBC Sounds. Including archive from the Evening Standard Produced by Rebecca Lloyd-Evans and Alan Hall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4