A trainee psychologist at HMP Frankland appears in a brand-new podcast showing what life is really like behind prison walls.

Ishmael Hussain, 28, who lives in the Durham area, worked in insurance before joining the Prison Service.

He shares the highs and lows of his vital work in ‘A prison’s guide to’ to keep prisoners and communities safe while reducing reoffending - giving prisoners the skills and support they need to live crime-free lives on the outside. 

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Ishmael said: "I joined as an officer on a wing just before the pandemic.

"It was quite daunting at first but the great thing about HMP Frankland is how experienced the team is.

"You can learn from officers who have been working on the landings for ages and are fantastic at their jobs."

Ishmael did a degree and masters in psychology and always wanted to become a psychologist in the prison.

He was given that opportunity last summer.

He said: "Ours is a high security prison so I spend my days treating and conducting thorough assessments of some of our most high-risk prisoners.

"It’s a tough job. Luckily, I have a supervisor who supports me. 

“I love working at the prison so I was really excited to be asked to take part in this podcast. I hope people will be interested to hear about everything that goes on behind the prison walls every day and the fantastic staff who work there.” 

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Most people never get the chance to see inside a prison and this four-part series podcast, which is narrated by actor Ben Bailey Smith and available on all podcasting platforms, will give the public the chance to hear first-hand from the staff working there every day.

The series – the first of its kind - also features episodes with Babafemi Dada, 55, who is governor at HMP Gartree and Sandra Sackey, 31, who works at HMP Wandsworth.   

Actor Ben Bailey Smith said:  “It’s definitely the case that for most of us, our only experience of prison comes from what we see in the media.

"Hopefully, we’re going to be offering a more realistic portrayal – one that acknowledges the realities of how tough it can be behind prison walls, whilst also showing the public how hard the staff are working, as a unit, to help offenders turn their lives around. Staff like Ishmael, who are in there every day, supporting the growth of the prisoners in his care.”  

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The podcast titled ‘A prison’s guide to’ has been made by Acast Creative and the Ministry of Justice.  

Darren Finley, Governor at HMP Frankland, added: “Ishmael is a crucial part of the team here and by sharing his experience has helped to show that there’s no typical day working in a prison.

"Every shift is different but each one is an opportunity to make a difference in a prisoner’s life and protect the public.

"The hard work of our staff is often unseen so it’s fantastic to see it celebrated in this new podcast.”   

Listen to the podcast series here