Lived Experience and Desistance with Andi Brierley

Most prison officers and probation practitioners overlook a simple truth: trust and genuine human connection are the real keys to reform. Andi Brierley, a former youth justice worker turned academic and editor of The Good Prison Officer, reveals how the most effective practitioners build trust not through protocol or robotic routines, but through empathy, authenticity, and understanding how their own behaviour impacts others. This episode challenges you to rethink the way justice professionals form relationships, because the difference is in how you make people feel.Andi’s own life story, rising from substance addiction and multiple prison sentences to becoming an influential voice in community justice, shapes his bold perspective on reform. He shares powerful insights on how lived experience deepens practice, why trust is the foundation of desistance, and how bureaucratic systems can hinder genuine connection. Discover practical ways to foster compassion in challenging environments, from prison corridors to probation meetings, and how small shifts in practice can reshape outcomes at every level of the criminal justice system. If you want to see systems through the eyes of those they serve and lead with compassion, this episode is for you.Probation Perspectives: Insights into Community Justice is a podcast exploring the world of probation, rehabilitation, and community justice. Hosted by Megan Thomas and Ceri Halfpenny from the University of Portsmouth, this series delves into key issues affecting probation practice, featuring expert insights, research, and real-world experiences.Chapters:00:00 - Intro to Probation Perspectives01:45 - Andi Brierley's Youth Justice Journey06:47 - Building Trust in Probation Practices13:30 - Challenges in Developing Trust17:37 - Impact of Prison on Individuals20:52 - Insights into Justice Systems27:04 - Adversity, Change, and Growth32:58 - Reflective Practice in ProbationShow notes and readings:We’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made Probation Perspectives: Insights into Community Justice possible.Freddie Hunt – Podcast producerJill Dealey – Podcast development and content supportLauren Meredith – Logo and jingle developmentJenn Grant & Michelle McDermott – Management and supportAll of our guests for sharing their expertise and experiencesHere are the details of the resources and readings that were referred to within the episode:Brierley, A. (2019). Your honour can I tell you my story?. Waterside Press.Brierley, A. (2023). The good prison officer. New York: Routledge.Brierley, A., & Dennehy, M. (2025). The rehabilitation industry: Lived experience and performance. Probation Journal, 72(3), 317-324.Brierley, A. (2026). ‘I sit somewhere in that sort of sweet spot’: Liminal legitimacy in criminal justice practice. Punishment & Society, 14624745261436432.Brierley, A., & Best, D. (2025). Desistance habitus: Strategically Using experience in practice. Incarceration: An International Journal of Imprisonment, Detention and Coercive Confinement, 6.https://doi.org/10.1177/26326663241310603Foucault, M. (2019). Discipline and punish: the birth of the prison. PenguinJohns, D. (2017). Being and becoming an ex-prisoner. Taylor & Francis Group.van der Kolk, B. A. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books