A Bit of a Stretch - The Podcast

About

Have you every wondered what life is really like behind bars? Chris Atkins is a documentary maker who went to prison for tax fraud in 2016. He spent nine months in HMP Wandsworth, one of the most dangerous and dysfunctional prisons in the UK, and has now interviewed 20 ex-prisoners about their time in jail. Their stories are shocking, uplifting, heartbreaking, hilarious, and often downright weird. These incredible testimonies form this eight part podcast series. In Wandsworth Chris got loads of letters peppered with questions - What's the food like? What do you wear? Tell me about the showers... This podcast answers all those questions, and takes you headfirst into the biggest prison crisis in history. It reveals a collapsing system that is failing victims and wider society, and reveals how the human spirit can thrive in the darkest corners. Each episode is centred around a different theme, like Arrival, Family and Change. 4 Stars in The Times: A frisson of horrified sympathy. "Good grief,” you think. “What if that were me?”. Chris Atkins is a three time BAFTA nominated film maker, who has worked for Channel 4 Dispatches and BBC Panorama. His book about his time in Wandsworth, A Bit of a Stretch, is out now.

Sing When You're Winning

When Chris was in HMP Wandsworth he joined MJ's Liberty Choir, which he called "Spinsters and Spiceheads" as it was made up of volunteer women of a certain age and some of the prison's more colourful drug addicts. Eight years on, Chris goes back to rehearse with the choir once again, to learn about the amazing work they do in rehabilitating offenders and showing that there are real people stuck inside the prison walls. Get ready to sing along.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7/26/2024 • 23 minutes, 28 seconds

You're nicked

Meet ex-cop Peter Bleksley, who spent years undercover busting some of Britain's biggest crime gangs. But one day a suspicious accident blew his cover forcing him into hiding - with a contract out on his life. Peter has since become an unlikely TV celebrity as the star of Channel 4's Hunted. Chris and Peter come from opposite sides of the argument on prison reform, but still have a friendly debate about the terrible state of the criminal justice system to see if they can find common ground. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7/19/2024 • 27 minutes, 3 seconds