Angela Kirwin: trauma, punishment and our broken prison system

Angela Kirwin has spent years working inside the UK prison system, supporting people who most of society has written off. A qualified social worker and the author of Criminal: How Our Prisons Are Failing Us All, Angela has seen first-hand how addiction, trauma and poverty shape lives — and how punishment without care only deepens the cycle. This week, Angela joins Daniel for a powerful and challenging conversation about what truly drives offending, why rehabilitation is so rare, and what’s possible when we offer support instead of judgement. She shares the lessons she’s learned from those society forgets, the vital role of compassion in recovery, and why real change is always possible, no matter your past. Whether you’ve been directly impacted by the system, know someone who has, or care about what happens beyond recovery, Angela’s story will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about crime and punishment.

Get Angela’s book Criminal at all good booksellers and follow her on socials @angelakirwinuk

Join the Recoverlution at ⁠⁠recoverlution.com⁠⁠

Presented by Daniel Fincham.

Recoverlution is an original podcast from ⁠⁠Pretzel Productions⁠⁠.