JUSTICE with prison philanthropist Edwina Grosvenor

Please note this episode contains discussion of traumatic births and infant mortality that some listeners may find upsetting. This week we are continuing the exploration of pregnancy and birth in the justice system. In our last episode Edwina spoke with Dr Laura Abbott, a registered midwife and Associate Professor in Research at The University of Hertfordshire, who has extensively researched women’s experiences of pregnancy in criminal justice settings. In this episode we’ll be delving deeper into more of the data around pregnancy in prison, and learning about the lived experience of those who have been pregnant in prison.  Suzy* is a trustee and Lived Experience Team member of Birth Companions, a women’s charity dedicated to tackling inequalities and disadvantage during pregnancy, birth and early motherhood. Suzy has lived experience of pregnancy in prison, and works with Dr Laura Abbott’s on the Lost Mothers Project, a pioneering study exploring how women and professionals involved with the justice system, experience enforced separation of newborn babies. In the episode, Suzy shares more about her experience of pregnancy in prison, and explains why prison can never be a safe place for pregnant women and babies. We’ll also be hearing from Dr Miranda Davies, the lead for prisoner health research at the Nuffield Trust. The work Miranda leads is the first time routine hospital data at a national level has been used to describe how often those in prison use hospital services, and for what reasons. Miranda shares more about the data they’ve collected on pregnant women in prison, published in their recent report ‘Inequality on the Inside’. Learn more about the work of Birth Companions: www.birthcompanions.org.uk Read the Nuffield Trust’s report ‘Inequality on the inside: Using hospital data to understand the key health care issues for women in prison’ *Not her real nameRead more about the One Small Thing charity here.Twitter - @OSTCharityThis podcast is created and produced by The London Podcast Company. 

In this episode, we explore pregnancy and birth in the justice system. What are the experiences of those who enter prison pregnant and are faced with giving birth inside? And what impact does imprisoning pregnant women have on their safety, and their baby’s? To help us explore these questions, Edwina spoke to Dr Laura Abbott, a registered midwife and Associate Professor in Research at The University of Hertfordshire. Laura’s has extensively researched women’s experiences of pregnancy in criminal justice settings, and is currently working on the Lost Mothers Study Project which will explore how women and professionals involved with the criminal justice system, experience enforced separation of newborn babies. In this episode, Laura shares more about her work and how her research is paving the way for policy changes to improve outcomes for pregnant women in the justice system. Learn more about the Lost Mothers Project: https://lostmothers.org/Explore Laura’s research: https://researchprofiles.herts.ac.uk/en/persons/laura-abbott/projects/Find Laura on Twitter @midwifeteacher Please note this episode contains discussion of traumatic births and infant mortality that some listeners may find upsetting  In our next episode, we will be continuing the exploration of pregnancy and birth in the justice system. We’ll be delving deeper into some of the data and hearing from Suzy*, who has lived experience of pregnancy in prison, and works with Laura on the Lost Mother’s Project team. *Not her real nameRead more about the One Small Thing charity here.Twitter - @OSTCharityThis podcast is created and produced by The London Podcast Company. 

In this week’s episode, Edwina explores what rights mothers in the justice system have. She speaks to Kate Lill, Women Prisoners Caseworker at the Prisoners’ Advice Service, whose role involves providing free legal advice to women in prison, and making sure they are able to assert their rights. Prisoners’ Advice Service (PAS) are a charity providing free legal advice to those in prison. They run a dedicated freephone number for women in prison providing them with advice on a range of matters including Family Law. One of their desired outcomes of their work with women is that, even though they are imprisoned, mothers are able to assert their legal rights in relation to their children and engage effectively in Family Law proceedings. In this episode, Kate explains some of the challenges she helps women navigate, and highlights how the lack of information offered to women around their rights as a mother is having devastating implications for them and their children. To learn more about the work of PAS follow them on Twitter @PrisonersAdviceOr visit their website www.prisonersadvice.org.ukIf you are in prison and need legal advice, please find PAS contact information here: www.prisonersadvice.org.uk/about/how-we-do-it/Read more about the One Small Thing charity here.Twitter - @OSTCharityThis podcast is created and produced by The London Podcast Company. 

In this first episode in our series exploring motherhood in the justice system, Edwina sat down with Lilly Lewis, Women’s Involvement Advisor at One Small Thing, to discuss some of the key issues and challenges facing mothers in the justice system.  Lilly is a survivor and campaigner on Domestic Abuse who started her campaigning work whilst in prison. After being sentenced in 2016 to 8 years in prison, she began to work with APPEAL as a Women's Justice Ambassador. Lilly also works at WHAG supporting young women at risk of homelessness. In her role at One Small Thing, Lilly ensures the voices of women affected by the justice system are included across our work, and writes a regular blog for us. In this episode, Edwina and Lilly reflect on what has led them both to dedicate their time to advocating for changes to improve the outcomes for women in the justice system, and their children. We will also be hearing excerpts from a range of past expert contributors to the JUSTICE podcast on this topic. In this upcoming series of JUSTICE we will be delving deeper into the issues discussed in this episode, and speaking to expert guests each week to further shed light on the challenges mothers face in the justice system – and what we could be doing differently. Read Lilly’s blog https://onesmallthing.org.uk/blogRead more about the One Small Thing charity here.Twitter - @OSTCharityThis podcast is created and produced by The London Podcast Company. 

Introducing our new series of JUSTICE where we will explore the experiences of mothers in the justice system - from women who enter prison pregnant and give birth inside, to those who are separated from their children through imprisonment and involvement from social services.  With those working on the front line, and those with lived experience, this series sheds light on the untold stories of mothers in the justice system, and their children. Each episode Edwina will be speaking to expert guests and exploring what needs to change. Our series on Motherhood in the Justice System will be out this Spring. To keep up to date with all the latest episode releases subscribe to JUSTICE, and follow us on Twitter @OSTCharity.

This week Edwina speaks Joy Doal, CEO of Anawim, Birmingham’s Centre for Women. Anawim is an award-winning Women's Centre with over 30 years' experience. They provide support, advocacy and campaign on a local and national level. Anawim’s mission is to help women from all backgrounds and communities in and around Birmingham to get the support they deserve. They provide a tailored package of support for women through a variety of one-to-one interventions, courses, counselling and opportunities, in person at their centres as well as online. Anawim’s approach is to help women understand the impact of their trauma and begin the healing process by overcoming obstacles and learning how to move forward to a brighter future for themselves and their families.  Anawim also run Dawn House, a safe, secure and trauma-responsive residential centre for women leaving prison. With support from The Jabbs Foundation they have recently published a report on learning from the first 5 years that can be accessed here. Learn more about Anawim by visiting their website https://anawim.co.uk/ and follow them of Twitter @Anawim_BCW.Read more about the One Small Thing charity here.Twitter - @OSTCharityThis podcast is created and produced by The London Podcast Company. 

Please note, this episode contains descriptions of conditions in prison including suicide that some listeners may find distressing.In this week’s episode, Edwina speaks to Michael Spurr, the former Chief Executive of His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Starting out as a Prison Officer in HMP Leeds in 1983, Michael has occupied a variety of roles in prisons and probation, including serving as Chief Executive of HMPPS from 2010-2019. In this wide-ranging conversation, Michael reflects on his 36 years working in the justice system – from the appalling conditions he witnessed in the 80’s and 90’s, to the changes that have transformed the justice system into what we recognise today. Edwina and Michael also discuss the impact of ministerial flux on those working in the justice system, and what he wants the future of HMPPS to look like.Read more about the One Small Thing charity here.Twitter - @OSTCharityThis podcast is created and produced by The London Podcast Company. 

This week Edwina speaks to Sarah Dangar, CEO of Ahimsa. Ahimsa is a Plymouth based charity that challenges and supports perpetrators of abuse to cease their violent and abusive behaviour. They deliver one on one support and group programmes for male perpetrators of abuse, supporting their behaviour change and preventing future incidences of domestic abuse.In this episode, Sarah shares more about how Ahimsa works with individuals and families, and reflects on the opportunities and challenges of delivering this difficult work. Having a background in supporting victims and survivors of abuse, Sarah speaks about how she came to work with perpetrators, and why she believes it’s vital if we want to protect more families from the devastating effects of domestic abuse.Learn more about Ahimsa by visiting their website www.ahimsa.org.uk and follow them of Twitter @Ahimsa_charity.Read more about the One Small Thing charity here.Twitter - @OSTCharityThis podcast is created and produced by The London Podcast Company. 

In this week’s episode Edwina explores the often unspoken impact of menopause on women’s lives. Despite the fact that 51% of the population will experience menopause, and the estimated 13 million people who are currently peri or menopausal in the UK, this topic has remained taboo. Edwina speaks to two advocates driving change in the national conversation around menopause on their experience of this transition, and what needs to change to ensure more women have access to the support they need – including those in the justice system. Edwina’s first guest is Davina McCall, renowned TV presenter and household name. As well as presenting shows such as Big Brother and The Million Pound Drop, Davina has presented documentaries exploring the Menopause. She is also the author of Menopausing, The Positive Roadmap to Your Second Spring which seeks to debunk myths, and breaks the shameful silence over the menopause. Edwina’s second guest is Carolyn Harris, MP for Swansea East who established and now chairs the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on menopause. Carolyn has played a pivotal role in putting menopause on the national agenda, and has recently published an inquiry into the impacts of Menopause on women and families as part of her work for the APPG on menopause.  More information: Read the APPG on Menopause Inquiry to assess the impacts of menopause and the case for policy reform: https://menopause-appg.co.uk/inquiry/ Order Menopausing, The Positive Roadmap to Your Second Spring, by Davina McCall and Dr. Naomi Potter: https://www.waterstones.com/book/menopausing/davina-mccall/dr-naomi-potter/9780008517786 Follow Carolyn Harris on Twitter @carolynharris24 Follow Davina McCall on Twitter @ThisisDavinaRead more about the One Small Thing charity here.Twitter - @OSTCharityThis podcast is created and produced by The London Podcast Company.