Growth Uncut

What if the people who understand the justice system best are the ones who have lived through it?In this episode of Growth Uncut, Dr Sarah Lewis is joined by Michael McCusker, Engagement and Advocacy Manager at The Turnaround Project in Belfast.Michael shares his personal journey from involvement in the justice system as a young man to becoming a leading advocate for lived experience leadership in justice reform.Together they explore the growing movement to place people with lived experience in positions of influence, ensuring policies and programmes are shaped by those who truly understand the challenges of reintegration. The conversation covers:• The barriers facing people leaving prison• The importance of trust, listening and collaboration• The risk of fragmentation within the lived experience movement• Why self-care and resilience are essential for leaders working in this space• The vision for a more co-ordinated and humane justice systemThis episode is a powerful reminder that lasting reform happens when systems learn from the people they affect most.The Turnaround Project is a Belfast-based organisation dedicated to improving outcomes for people who have been involved in the justice system.The organisation works with:• Government departments• Statutory agencies• Community organisations• People with lived experienceto create opportunities for individuals leaving prison to reintegrate successfully into society and influence the development of justice policy and practice. A key ambition of the organisation is to place people with lived experience into positions of leadership and influence, ensuring their insights shape future justice reforms.Learn more:🌐 https://theturnaroundproject.org🌱 About The Turnaround Project🌐www.growtransformbelong.com 🌱About Justice 2.0 #Justice2Point0#CriminalJusticeReform#PrisonReform#SecondChances#SocialImpact#Desistance#Justiceleadership

What if no one had to leave prison alone?In this episode of Growth Uncut, Dr Sarah Lewis is joined by Sid Singh to introduce the Growth App, a bold Justice 2.0 innovation designed to transform the journey from prison to community.Born out of lived experience and years of work in criminal justice reform, the Growth App acts as a digital bridge between people leaving prison, charities and support networks. It connects the “hero” (the person rebuilding their life) with “buddies” and “guides” who can support their growth journey. Think of it as a growth map for life after prison; helping people track progress, access opportunities, celebrate milestones, and reach out when things get tough. At the same time, it helps organisations connect the incredible work already happening across charities, probation, and community services so that support is no longer fragmented or hidden in silos. Sarah and Sid share the powerful “why” behind the app, the lived experiences that shaped it, and their vision for Justice 2.0 — a justice system that prioritises hope, belonging and human growth.This conversation isn’t just about technology. It’s about building a future where people leaving prison are connected to community, opportunity, and support from day one.Learn more about the Growth App:🌱 https://www.thegrowthapp.orgIf you believe that no one should navigate life after prison alone, you can help make this movement real.✔ Download the Growth App✔ Share it with someone who could benefit✔ If you’re a charity or organisation, sign up as a guide and join the ecosystem of supportTogether, we can upgrade justice and build a system where growth and belonging are possible for everyone.#Justice2Point0#TheGrowthApp#CriminalJusticeReform#Desistance#JusticeInnovation#PrisonReform#SocialImpact#LivedExperienceLeadership#BelongingMatters#GrowTransformBelong

In this conversation, Dr Sarah Lewis and Edit Törs explore the principles and practices of restorative justice, its challenges, and its connection to the evolving concept of Justice 2.0. They discuss the importance of dialogue, the need for a more humane criminal justice system, and the potential for restorative justice to address both individual and institutional harms. The conversation emphasizes the significance of community, empowerment, and the necessity of integrating restorative practices into existing systems to foster healing and transformation.To learn more about this topic please visit: EFRJ website: https://www.euforumrj.org/EFRJ Conference Poznan: https://www.euforumrj.org/13th-efrj-conference-poznan-2026EFRJ Publications: https://www.euforumrj.org/publications-documentsEFRJ organisational members: https://www.euforumrj.org/our-organisational-membersREstART festival:  https://www.euforumrj.org/restartfestival2025 To find out more or to donate to GTB please visit our website: www.growtransformbelong.com

We invite Heather Whitehead, a former prison leader, to talk about how she wants to upgrade Justice. Heather discusses the challenges leaders face and why we need to change leadership culture, to grow our senior staff. To learn more about Justice 2.0 visit www.growtransformbelong.com To find out more information about Heather, follow her on Linkedin or visit her website- https://www.hwleadershipconsultancy.co.uk#justice2point0

Becky White talks with Sarah Lewis about the exciting work she is doing to support culture change from a 'victims' perspective. Focusing on authentic relationships, quality standards and providing a meaning voice for those impacted by the Justice System is the focus of this J2.0 Series. A great watch for those interested in how change from commissioner/government level can make a real difference. For more information about Becky, check out her website: www.daiscic.org.uk or LinkedIn profile: www.linkedin.com/in/becky-white-644bb853email [email protected] or [email protected] for more information or visit www.growtransformbelong.com for more information about getting involved with Justice 2.0- upgrading justice together!

Jamie Rogers and Dr Sarah Lewis thrash out the issue of staff training and how we can practically make the Criminal Justice System a learning culture. We have seven new professional development courses to support practitioners in working with people in the Criminal Justice System so please visit www.growtransformbelong.com We value any donations to help continue our podcast!

Yes we want to upgrade Justice but what are the things we want to let go of? Join Dr Sarah Lewis, Kam Stevens and Dan Reynolds as they discuss Justice 1.0, as part of a Linkedin Live event.

What are the top lessons we have learnt from training hundreds of Criminal justice professionals, internationally? We dive into this topic and talk about how we have integrated these lessons into our work, as we promote Justice 2.0, calling for an upgrade to Justice and an investment in people. Dan Reynolds and Kam Stevens join Dr Sarah Lewis in this session.

We held a linkedin Live event and wanted to share it with you. We discuss Justice 2.0 in a bit more detail and how you may be able to get involved. With Dr Lewis and Kam Stevens, we share our hopes and discuss some of the challenges we might face.

Justice 2.0 is a collective campaign to drive positive changes in the Criminal Justice System, calling for an upgrade to current thinking and acknowledging the need to raise awareness around Criminal Justice within our communities, so we can serve them effectively. It highlights the key ideas around the campaign, the rationale, the plan of action and some of the challenges.

Kam Stevens, Adam, Steve Farrell and Anita Dockley join Sarah Lewis to discuss our research in Hope in Probation. Alongside Jake Phillips, we delivered this project to uncover the state of play in our Probation Service around their experiences of hope. We wanted to consider how Probation can become more hopeful and capture the voices of staff and people on probation, in an authentic way. We discuss the backstory of our Hope research, the key findings and the impact we want to achieve with this research.

The Hope in Probation Research Project was completed by; Professor Steve Farrell (University of Nottingham); Dr Jake Phillips (University of Sheffield Hallam);Dr Sarah Lewis, Kam Stevens and Adam from Penal Reform Solutions and Anita Dockley from Justice Futures. This podcast discusses the benefits of lived experience researches in this research and provides advice to other organisations who are passionate about adding greater richness to their research.

Justine Best works with us as a research consultant and shares with us her lived experience of care and how her works gives her hope, as she instils hope in others. If you want to find out more about our work please visit www.growtransformbelong.com or email us on [email protected] to connect with us and collaborate!

Carianne is one of my favourite people in the world and her role focuses on growing our staff, quality assurance and training. Carianne talks about her role, working with the team and discusses her preventative programme, which is currently being delivered in educational settings. If you want to know more about our work please visit www.growtransformbelong.com or www.penalreformsolutions.com and if you would like to find our more about our work (or support us in our mission), please email us on [email protected]

This special episode features a discussion centred around our research for the Commission on Crime and Gambling Related Harms, which was launched by the the Howard League for Penal Reform.  Justine and I join Steven, from Betknowmore, to summarise and reflect on the findings from our report.  We talk about the recommendations and the way forward, as we work together to reduce harms in prison. Please check out our report here: https://howardleague.org/publications/exploring-gambling-and-its-role-within-prison-culture-you-can-be-flying-high-then-fighting/: https://howardleague.org/publications/exploring-gambling-and-its-role-within-prison-culture-you-can-be-flying-high-then-fighting/ And get in touch with us via our website: www.penalreformsolutions.com or sarah@penalreformsolutions.

This episode discusses so much!  Belonging, hope, joy and the complete conviction Kam Stevens has for social action, impact and justice.  Not just for those in prison but for prison staff, who both deserve more support and care. 

This episode focuses on the role of faith and hope within penal reform, prisons and social action. As our newest member of the team, it was a great opportunity to get some reflections around us as an organisation. If you want to find out more about us please get in touch: [email protected] or [email protected]

This episode explores some of the key topics around young people and our commitment to prevention as well as intervention.  We talk about some of the challenges around generational differences within the Criminal Justice System and suggest that drawing on our differences will bring about new insights, greater compassion and cultural change!  If you want to learn more about what we do or want to get involved please check us out on www.penalreformsolutions.com or www.growtransformbelong.com 

We have created a new series where I get the privilege of speaking with the PRS (Penal Reform Solutions) team about their passions and hopes for the future.  First off, is our newest member, Dan Reynolds, who talked about his passions around staff wellbeing.  Find out about the challenges Dan faced as a prison officer and what he feels in important for staff now and in the future.  Also find out what a love bomb is!  For more information about what we do please visit our websites: www.penalreformsolutions.com or www.growtransformbelong.com or email us on [email protected] or [email protected]  Enjoy! 

This episode talks through the key findings of the MAPPA thematic analysis from the PRS team, commissioned by the Inspectorate of Probation.  It reflects of the experiences of the research team and explores a number of key solutions that can bring about effective change within the Criminal Justice System.  The podcast is created and produced by Penal Reform Solution, an organisation that promotes social good and reduces social harm.  We specialise in co-creation, user voice research and cultural change projects.  We are a passionate group of people!  For more information on the report, please visit our website at: www.penalreformsolutions.com or email us on [email protected]  Find us on twitter (sarah_lewis30), Instagram and Linkedin!  

This episode features David Haze and Dr Lewis from the PRS team, discussing the recent Inspectorate of Probation Project, which examined the views of those subject to Electronic Monitoring (EM).  This easy to access version of the report hopes to provide a quick overview of the findings and proposed solutions, to enrich the EM experience, to make it more meaningful and effective.  We hope you enjoy this short summary and if you have any questions please get in touch with us on: [email protected] 

The awesome team at Penal Reform Solutions carried out an analysis into how the Criminal Justice System impacts on the mental health of service users. Our mission was to capture the experiences of service users, as part of a wider project commissioned by the Inspectorate of Probation. We wanted to create an accessible way to tell you about the findings, our recommendations and our reflections from the project so here it is!  Thank you to all those that took part and to Justine Best and David Haze who joined me in this podcast.   To find out more information about this work and to read the full report please visit: www.penalreformsolutions.com  To get in touch with us please contact [email protected]  We are excited to be starting an Innovation Project with HMP Bristol, who won the award to develop better mental wellbeing services in prison through a peer mentoring service.  It is a privilege to apply some of our learning to this Project and work collaboratively to make prisons better. 

Our next Series is going to focus on the Growth Alliance.  The Growth Alliance is a collection of passionate individuals who want to make a collective impact, promoting social good and reducing social harm for all.  This Series will host different people who are affiliated with the Growth Alliance, to share their views on social reform and collective responsibility.  We decided to start the Series with our PRS team when one of our team suggested that it might be fun to get together and talk about why we do what we do. So here you have it folks! We are really passionate about what we do and if you want to get in touch to collaborate, talk or connect then throw us an email on [email protected]   

Tom Eberhardt was the former Governor of Bastoy prison and discusses his learning and growth in this role.  He highlights the importance of staff within a prison context and discusses what it was like to Governor one of the most exceptional prisons in the world.  Tom also talks about his current work in the US and his views of growth, illuminating the importance of accepting change and learning from mistakes,  in order to grow.   For more information about our work check out: www.penalreformsolutions.com or email Sarah on [email protected] If you want to join the Growth Alliance please click here: https://penalreformsolutions.com/growth-alliance-2/ If you want to help Sarah in her work please get in touch, or contribute through Patreon on: www.patreon.com/growthmovement All proceeds goes towards this podcast and our Youth Growth Programme.

Ralph Lubkowski is currently a Prison Governor in England with a commitment to Growth, making him a key Avenger of social justice!  Ralph talks about why he started work in prisons, and shares his inspirations and challenges.  I will be working with Ralph over the next 3 years to implement the Prison Growth Project and feel excited about the journey ahead.  This draws a close to this first Series of Growth Uncut.  As we plan the next Series we want to thank you for listening and we will be back soon!   For more information about our work check out: www.penalreformsolutions.com or email Sarah on [email protected] If you want to join the Growth Alliance please click here: https://penalreformsolutions.com/growth-alliance-2/ If you want to help Sarah in her work please get in touch, or contribute through Patreon on: www.patreon.com/growthmovement All proceeds goes towards this podcast and our Youth Growth Programme.

With 30 years of correctional experience, Joe Arvidson talks to Sarah about getting out of comfort zones and remaining open to new learning.  He discusses his experiences of working as a probation officer and teaching others who work in the correctional field, sharing a passion for desistance and personal growth.  Joe's position on humanity is refreshing and inspiring.   Joe also hosts a fantastic podcast called the Criminologist.  Check out his podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-criminologist/id1499579687 and enjoy the great content!  He is a rock star!   For more information about our work check out: www.penalreformsolutions.com or email Sarah on [email protected] If you want to join the Growth Alliance please click here: https://penalreformsolutions.com/growth-alliance-2/ If you want to help Sarah in her work please get in touch, or contribute through Patreon on: www.patreon.com/growthmovement All proceeds goes towards this podcast and our Youth Growth Programme.

Breda talks about her work at the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas and how she was inspired to work in prison, following her fathers wrongful incarceration.  Breda discusses the benefit of gratitude, finding small moments of Growth in her life and the role of relationships being central to her development.   For more information about our work check out: www.penalreformsolutions.com or email Sarah on [email protected] If you want to join the Growth Alliance please click here: https://penalreformsolutions.com/growth-alliance-2/ If you want to help Sarah in her work please get in touch, or contribute through Patreon on: www.patreon.com/growthmovement All proceeds goes towards this podcast and our Youth Growth Programme.

Attila Juhász reflects on his experience as a Governor in Hungary and shares with us the importance of prisoner's families and how they have inspired him in his work.  Attila was a Prison Governor for 10 years and explains how he utilised the media to help change the way prison (and those that work and live in it) are seen.   I have had the pleasure of working with Attila, during my work for the Council of Europe and I hope he inspires you as much as he does me.   For more information about our work check out: www.penalreformsolutions.com or email Sarah on [email protected] If you want to join the Growth Alliance please click here: https://penalreformsolutions.com/growth-alliance-2/ If you want to help Sarah in her work please get in touch, or contribute through Patreon on: www.patreon.com/growthmovement All proceeds goes towards this podcast and our Youth Growth Programme.

Michael Campbell Brown shares with us his thoughts of growth, prison and the importance of unconditional love.  This emotive podcast provides us with an insight into prison and the people within it, illuminating the humanity of prisons and the humbling experience of working with those incarcerated.   For more information about our work check out: www.penalreformsolutions.com or email Sarah on [email protected] If you want to join the Growth Alliance please click here: https://penalreformsolutions.com/growth-alliance-2/ If you want to help Sarah in her work please get in touch, or contribute through Patreon on: www.patreon.com/growthmovement All proceeds goes towards this podcast and our Youth Growth Programme.

Paula Harriott talks passionately about her views on growth and how through adversity, we can grow.  Paula works for the Prison Reform Trust and discusses her work and what drives her.  She discusses the importance of standing together in solidarity, in order to make an impact as a collective.   For more information about our work check out: www.penalreformsolutions.com or email Sarah on [email protected] If you want to join the Growth Alliance please click here: https://penalreformsolutions.com/growth-alliance-2/ If you want to help Sarah in her work please get in touch, or contribute through Patreon on: www.patreon.com/growthmovement All proceeds goes towards this podcast and our Youth Growth Programme.

So we turned the tables and the lovely Julie Eden hosted the show and put Dr Sarah Lewis through the tricky questions about Growth!  Sarah talks about her challenges and the importance of small gestures of kindness, relationships and openness to change.  For more information check out: www.penalreformsolutions.com or email Sarah on [email protected] If you want to join the Growth Alliance please click here: https://penalreformsolutions.com/growth-alliance-2/ If you want to help Sarah in her work please get in touch, or contribute through Patreon on: www.patreon.com/growthmovement All proceeds goes towards this podcast and our Youth Growth Programme.  

Kam Stevens shares with us his experiences of prison and his ambitions for the future, as an aspiring director.   Kam describes how people were instrumental in his rehabilitation and outlines his passion for change and dedication to those in prison.   He talks about his screenplay production in prison as the importance of trust and freedom, in order to grow and become the person he is today.   To check out the Everest Reform Project, visit: https://www.everestreform.co.uk/ For more information about the work we do, see: www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

Criminologist Dr Wendy Fitzgibbon talks about her experiences of social inequality and how it led her into the caring industry and academia, to voice those issues that hinder growth and promote growth in others.   To check out Wendy's new book, please see www.plutobooks.com/9780745399232/privatising-justice/ Also, to learn more about the book please see: http://vimeo.com/424820345/f369de73ff For more information about the work we do, see: www.penalreformsolutions.com  Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30  Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions  If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

Dr Adrian Needs is a Principal Lecturer in Psychology, at the University of Portsmouth.  I was privileged to have Adrian as my Masters supervisor 15 years ago and continue to benefit from his insights and experiences into the human potential.   Adrian talks about his time working in the Prison Service as a Forensic Psychologist and highlights the importance of relationships, contextual factors and the difficulties associated with change.   For more information about the work we do, see: www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

Julie Eden talks about her experience of working as a Probation Officer and the importance of empathy, authentic relationships and social equality, as a way to promote growth in people and communities.  For more information about the work we do, see: www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

Professor Ben Crewe shares his views on growth within the context of his research around life sentences and discusses the themes of power, pain and relationships and their association with growth and personal development.    For more information about the work we do, see: www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

Nina is a designer by trade and one of the Birds behind Bird Podcast.  She talks about growth within the context of her life and work and draws on her challenging experiences of spending a year in Australia and how this helped her appreciate relationships and develop a sense of greater openness in her life.   For more information about the work we do, see: www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

I speak with Marcus Olozulu about the function of pain within the process of growth.  He talks about the importance of being authentic and finding peace through the process of making sense of our painful stories.  For more information about the work we do, see: www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

Professor Fergus McNeill talks to Sarah about human potential and relationships within the context of Criminal and Social Justice.   For more information about the work we do, see:  www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

Professor Shadd Maruna speaks passionately about social justice, growth and human development.  This podcast covers topics around cultural divide and the value of lived experience, relationships and our social context.   For more information about the work we do, see: www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

Dr Kerry Devitt is a Senior Researcher working in the community, sharing her thoughts on social justice, self reflection and how the first step to growth is through conversation.   For more information about the work we do, see: www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or to join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance

Sarah talks with David Adams, a former prisoner who reflects on his growth and personal development. We talk about honesty and hope and how these can help us grow. If you would like more information around our work please see:  www.penalreformsolutions.com Twitter: @GrowthAlliance1 and @Sarah_Lewis30 Instagram: dr_sarah_lewis, growth_alliance1, growthproject_ and penalreformsolutions If you want to actively support our work, please see: https://www.patreon.com/growthmovement or join the Growth Alliance, see: https://www.penalreformsolutions.com/the-growth-alliance