Prisoners are giving the public a glimpse of life on the inside with a podcast produced in Scotland’s most notorious jail.
For the first time in the UK, inmates have put together their own broadcast on life behind bars and made it available to anyone who wants to listen.
The podcast is the latest project to be produced by Barbed Wireless, Barlinnie’s long-running radio station.
An integral part of daily life in the prison, the team produce a variety of radio and visual content, ensuring fellow prisoners are kept informed about support services, opportunities and events.
The podcast, which is called Inspired Inside, was made possible after Glasgow-based arts charity Creative Change Collective was awarded a £5,000 National Lottery grant.
The charity supports prisoners through arts and creative processes associated with film, theatre, and performance, aiding their rehabilitation and cutting reoffending.
The grant, which was awarded earlier this year, has been used to pay for equipment allowing a group of prisoners at Barlinnie to produce their own film and radio content.
The first person to be interviewed on the podcast was Barlinnie governor Michael Stoney, who has previously praised Creative Change Collective’s work in the jail.
He said the charity’s staff give prisoners a “positive outlet to express themselves, build their confidence and improve their communication and life skills”.
In the second episode of Inspired Inside, a prisoner called Eugene interviewed Creative Change Collective project director Mark MacNicol, where he discussed his work in jails.
The charity runs a drama therapy-type programme called ‘Anonymous Drama’, where prisoners develop their own group script over the course of 12 to 16 weeks.
Some then take part in a rehearsed reading of their work in front of fellow prisoners, friends, family, support staff and external partners.
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The concept of Anonymous Drama is to allow people who might struggle to express themselves to do so in a safe environment which is less emotionally triggering.
Participants develop fictional characters and scripts, but do not reveal to each other which parts of the stories they choose to tell are made up and which parts are based on real life.
Mark MacNicol, Creative Change Collective project director, said:
“To my knowledge this group of prisoners are the only ones in the UK running their own podcast, and it was a pleasure to appear as one of their first guests.
“The project gives participants a creative outlet and teaches them technical skills associated with broadcasting and the media, as well as improving their communication at all levels.
“This and our wider work in prisons supports inmates to learn new things, develop their confidence and sense of teamwork, and prepare for life outside so they are less likely to reoffend.
“We are always looking for ways to address social issues through the power of the arts and creativity and would welcome similar partnerships with other prisons around the country.”
Barlinnie is due to close and be replaced by a new ‘superjail’ named HMP Glasgow. The prison was initially set to open in 2025, but the deadline has been pushed back to 2027.
Initial estimates for the replacement of Barlinnie nine years ago had been around £170m.
However, In November Justice Secretary Angela Constance told Holyrood's criminal justice committee that replacing the new prison would likely cost £400m.
Mick Stoney, Governor in Charge of HMP Barlinnie, said: “The Barbed Wireless Media Centre is an integral part of daily life in Barlinnie. For those involved, they have a real sense of purpose that inspires a confidence within them to engage in other activities.
“We know that these are the things that help people to make positive changes to their lives and better prepare them for life after prison.
“The varied initiatives from organisations like the Creative Change Collective bring a real energy to the prison, offering ‘something different’ for people to be part of.”
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