Radio 1's Bobby Friction at Electric Radio Brixton
Why prison radio?
Benefiting society:
Reducing re-offending benefits us all. Equipping prisoners with the skills and confidence necessary to find work upon release is crucial in bringing down re-offending rates. A radio broadcasting service offers a unique, innovative and effective mechanism through which prisoners can be reached and engaged in education. Central to prison radio broadcasting is the aim of supporting the reducing re-offending agenda which covers a range of issues identified as the following: Accommodation; Education, training and employment; Health; Drugs and alcohol; Finance, benefit and debt; Children and families; and Attitudes, thinking and behaviour.
Benefiting individual prisoners:
Offenders completing radio training courses can expect to gain recognised qualifications and existing education courses within prisons can be enhanced by the use of radio production techniques. Prison radio training can assist in the development of a range of skills including measurable improvements in literacy, numeracy and ICT. It can also contribute towards the development of ‘transferable life skills’, essential to successful reintegration into mainstream society. These ‘life skills’ include team-working, social skills, communication, self-esteem, analytical thinking, the ability to emphasise with others and working to a deadline.
Prison radio has a proven track record in helping offenders tackle the barriers they face on release, equipping them with the confidence, skills and qualifications they need to support accessibility into further training and employment opportunities.
Benefiting the whole prison community:
As well as offering opportunities to individual offenders prison radio can benefit the wider prison community. It offers a cost-effective way of getting information out to the whole prison population. It can assist in promoting a range of advice and support services and opportunities that complement existing education and training activity.
Prison radio can highlight issues that have been identified as key factors in reducing re-offending including:
- how prisoners can find out more about their housing options prior to release
- how to maintain family relationships whilst in prison
- how to find out about employment opportunities whilst in prison and post-release
- how to use health-care services in prison such as dealing with depression and drug/alcohol rehabilitation
- how to manage finances and debt during and after imprisonment
There are more than 1200 voluntary and community organisations in the UK working with offenders and ex-offenders - prison radio gives them the opportunity to reach their target audience.
What is the PRA vision?
- to provide support, guidance and expertise to existing prison radio stations
- to offer advice in establishing new radio stations or radio training facilities within prisons
- to develop a National Prison Radio Service
- to design a best practice prison radio toolkit
- to host an annual conference and awards ceremony
"Prison radio is vital for two reasons: firstly it equips prisoners with employable skills for their release - crucial to reducing re-offending... and secondly it provides a refreshingly open medium for the distribution of information in an environment where knowledge is still largely seen as power and so the privilege of those in authority;
I wholeheartedly endorse it."
Mark Leech, Editor of The Prisons Handbook and the founder of UNLOCK, the National Association for Ex-offenders