Chris Lynam is a poet, writer and public speaker who currently works at The Archer Project. Prior to this, Chris was embroiled in a life of addiction and criminality, originally in Ireland and then in the UK. Here, Chris shares the story of what led him to prison, his road to recovery, and how life has been since getting out.
Useful organisations:
CALM - www.thecalmzone.net/
CALM helpline - 0800 58 58 58 (open 5pm-midnight)
Samaritans - www.samaritans.org/
Samaritans helpline - 116 123 (24 hours)
Humankind - humankindcharity.org.uk/
Turning Point - www.turning-point.co.uk/services/drug-and-alcohol-support.html
Survivors UK - www.survivorsuk.org/
SSAFA - www.ssafa.org.uk/
Shannon Trust - www.shannontrust.org.uk/
The Archer Project - www.archerproject.org.uk/
Printed By Us - www.printedbyus.org/
Contact us:
If anything you’ve heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you’d just like to get in touch, please contact us.
💬 DM us: @afterprisonpod on Instagram and Twitter
📧 Email us: podcasts@prison.radio
✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF
🖥️ Website: lifeafterprisonpod.com/
0:00 - Last memory before going inside
0:46 - Interview with Chris Lynam
1:55 - Life before prison
6:15 - Drugs led me to criminal behaviour
12:39 - What led to your larger sentence?
16:48 - What was prison like?
17:38 - Challenges in prison
19:10 - Correlation of trauma and prison
21:26 - Prison Chaplain
22:24 - Did you meet other military men in prison?
24:08 - The Shannon Trust & writing for the prison newspaper
26:35 - Finding my light bulb moment in prison
28:48 - Printed By Us
29:40 Word From The Shed
31:19 - Before & after prison feeling
32:52 - Therapy & strength in vulnerability
34:31 - Poetry by Chris Lynam
36:15 - Organisations that can help