Richie first got involved with National Prison Radio when he was serving time in HMP Brixton. He now presents the Outside In show which airs every week on National Prison Radio and is about to be launched as a public-facing podcast. We caught up with him to find out more about his journey of presenting and producing radio from behind prison walls to our studio on the outside.
Can you tell us about what you do on National Prison Radio?
I work for the Prison Radio Association as an Assistant Producer and Presenter. I produce a show called Outside In which broadcasts three times a month via National Prison Radio and once a month on the BBC. I help produce and present the show alongside two other staff members of the Prison Radio Association.
How long have you been working with the Prison Radio Association?
I’ve been working with the Prison Radio Association for just over two years now. When I left prison I started off with some freelance work on National Prison Radio, producing and presenting the shows Street Heat and NPR Fresh.
What made you want to apply to work on National Prison Radio?
I love music and listening to finished projects that I’ve worked on. I can sit down at a computer and edit for hours. In this sort of industry I think you can always improve and learn new things which is one my goals. I’m still at the beginning of my career and I have a lot of room for improvement.
How do you remember feeling after your first couple of sessions in the studio?
If I take myself back to the first time I joined National Prison Radio in HMP Brixton, I remember feeling a little more free. It’s weird because I was in jail at the time, but entering that room made me feel like I almost had a normal job on the outside rather than just doing something to help pass time. Don’t get me wrong though, it also definitely helped on that note. National Prison Radio at the time I was inside felt like a get way from the reality of actually being inside. I got to use a computer and music equipment, I was assigned a show which obviously had a structure I had to follow but there was a lot of freedom to make the show my own which I loved.
After you left prison, you joined our Talent Development programme, what does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me would be starting around 10am, I meet up with the team at the studio and go through revisions and future deadlines. However, not everyday is in the studio, me and the team often travel for interviews, which is always a fun experience, whether that’s going into different prisons or workplaces.
Can you explain more about what’s involved with producing a radio show? What are some of the skills you’ve learned?
Producing a radio show involves a lot of hours behind the screen but like I said, I love listening to the finished project at the end, so it’s always worth it!
To produce a show you need to know how to edit vocals for example; adding compressions and making sure the levels are correct before and after rendering your file. We like to use Reaper which is an editing software; most softwares do the same job. I’ve learnt how to structure a show through experience and listening to others.
What’s been the most challenging thing you’ve learned?
I think the most challenging thing for me was trying to make a show from scratch. I did a lot of over-thinking like “should I start like this?”, “should I have a song at the beginning?”, “what should I remove or what should I delete?”. But through experience and Nancy’s (Head of Talent Development) support, I now understand that some skills when producing and editing shows can only be learned or obtained through experience and, in some cases, trial and error.
What’s been a highlight for you/your favourite thing to work on?
I actually really enjoy working on the Outside In show but I wouldn’t say I have a favourite moment or a highlight. I thought editing was my favourite thing to do but I also like presenting. To be fair the ARIAS award was a highlight – to see a piece of work I helped produce achieve a nomination, yeah I guess that’s a good highlight for me.
What’s the experience of working with National Prison Radio meant to you personally?
Working with National Prison Radio has definitely been a positive in my life. I think I was in a place where I probably needed a lift and motivation, and it definitely helped me with that after being released from prison. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to work alongside some really passionate colleagues who really care about the work we do at National Prison Radio.
Outside In is being released as a podcast soon, can you tell us more about this?
For the first time ever Outside in is going to be shared to the public! I’m excited, I hope you are too!
Outside In is a show produced by me and a few other Outside In members; the aim is to inspire!
Outside In has been playing through the in-cell TVs and laptops of most of the prisons in England and Wales. I’m happy to announce that we will now be releasing episodes on all major streaming platforms; future shows will also be available as a podcast. Look out for us: Outside In!
Outside In is produced and presented entirely by people who learnt their craft while working at National Prison Radio during their sentence. Together, they interview big names who have experienced life behind bars, while providing guidance and practical tips to help ease the transition back to life after release, from those who have ‘been there done that’.
Listen to our Outside In audio teaser:
It launches soon – keep your eyes peeled! – and can be found here.
You can also read more about our Talent Development Programme here.
If you’d like to stay up to speed with what’s going on with the Prison Radio Association you can follow us on:
X – @prisonradiouk
Instagram – @prisonradiouk
TikTok – @prisonradiouk
Facebook – Prison Radio Association
LinkedIn – Prison Radio Association
National Prison Radio is the world’s first national radio station for people in prison. It’s available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on in-cell TV and reaches over 80,000 people behind bars across England and Wales.
National Prison Radio was founded by the Prison Radio Association – a registered charity. Shows like Outside In help people to cope with life inside prison and thrive on release. If you would like to support our work, and enhance the futures of people in prison across the UK you can make a donation at prison.radio/donate.
