The Prison Radio Association

Work with offenders profiles a charity which provides a valuable lifeline to people in prison

The first prison radio station was launched at Feltham YOI in 1994 when, after a rise in incidences of self-harm and suicides, two local residents, Roma Hooper (now Chair of Trustees at Clinks, the criminal justice voluntary sector infrastructure organisation) and Mark Robinson (an advertising executive who is still involved with the Prison Radio Association as a trustee) approached the governor. Their idea was to set up a radio station designed to keep listeners company at night when they are at their most vulnerable.

The idea of prison radios caught on and in 2006 the Prison Radio Association (PRA) was established as a charity. The next year Electric Radio Brixton was launched in the South London prison, broadcasting programmes made by prisoners directly into the cells. Bobby Friction, Billy Bragg and Mick Jones from The Clash were among the first voices to be heard on-air, alongside men serving sentences in Brixton prison. Just three years later Electric Radio Brixton re-launched as National Prison Radio (NPR), extending its reach to prison right across England and Wales. It was the world’s first national radio service for prisoners. It broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week via in-cell TV. This came in the same year as Electric Radio Brixton four coveted Sony Radio Academy Awards – PRA has continued to win national awards over the last 15 years.

The programmes 

NPR has a programming schedule which reminds you of the BBC, within its 24/7 services there is something for everyone although all programmes sit within its overall aim “to promote a culture of positive change in prison, while acknowledging and addressing the challenges of imprisonment”.

NPR provides day-to-day information (a critical service throughout the pandemic) alongside inspirational and uplifting content in innovative formats. It encourages education, debate and a sense of community. The emphasis is on helping people to understand their situation and own their future, as well as providing information about support services available in prison.

Programmes are presented and produced by people with experience of prison with the goal of making listeners’ time behind bars constructive.

National Prison Radio’s programmes are made in HMP Styal (a women’s prison in Cheshire) and HMP Brixton where professional production staff work alongside prisoners, equipping them with skills and confidence.

The schedule includes:

The Rock Show – one of the best known prison radio shows with classic rock tracks and stories of legendary gigs.

Love Bug – a Sunday evening show which encourages listeners to grab a pen and paper and write a letter to a loved one, to a soundtrack of smooth love songs; the show includes letter-writing tips.

The Warm-Up – funded by Sport England this show encourages people to get active and keep fit providing guided workouts which can be done in a prison cell.

Bars – hosted by Lady Unchained, recently released from prison, who interviews lyricists, rappers and performers about their craft to inspire her listeners to get creative.

The Request Show – an absolute staple of the programme which enables families and friends to request a specific song for their loved one inside, helping people to keep in touch.

NPR Talk – a daily show which sets out to help listeners find their future. The programme’s slogan is: “Don’t just do your time. Use your time.”

Alongside many other programmes, NPR has also diversified into a wide range of podcasts, videos and mobile apps.

NPR is a real lifeline for many people incarcerated and the PRA doesn’t just restrict its activities to England and Wales but leads the global prison radio movement through Prison Radio International

You can read more about the PRA’s work and listen to many of the programmes via its website here