Voices Unlocked

Voices Unlocked

🎙️Voices Unlocked Podcast Breaking Silence. Breaking Stigma Supporting youth with incarcerated parents You are more than your story✨

  1. 5d ago

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 20 | Surviving a Florida Prison at 17

    From a Florida prison documentary to finding peace in Greece — Layla's story will move you. In this episode of Voices Unlocked, we welcome Layla, for the realest, most emotional conversation yet. Layla opens up about growing up with an absent, addicted mother, being raised by her nan and granddad, and the wild true story of how she ended up starring in a Channel 4 documentary that placed teenagers inside a real Florida prison at just 17 years old. We talk discipline vs. today's generation, why it took her years to trust a support group, what it's really like sitting across from inmates (including someone on death row), and how she went from an angry teenager who didn't want to live to someone travelling the world and finding genuine gratitude for life. This one covers grief, addiction, sibling bonds, healing, and the kind of friendship that changes your life. If you or someone you know has a parent affected by addiction or incarceration, we hope this conversation reminds you that you're not alone - and that healing on your own timeline is more than okay. Timestamps: 00:00 - Disclaimer & welcome back 00:44 - Meet Layla 01:46 - Five years of friendship & the Time Matters connection 02:32 - What finally got Layla to join a support group 07:17 - Raised by grandparents: tough love and discipline 10:24 - Why respect and boundaries mattered growing up 16:46 - The wild backstory: a UK teen flown to a Florida prison 21:53 - Inside the prison: talking to real inmates on death row 30:33 - Living with an absent, addicted mother 35:31 - Big travel dreams and life beyond the UK 36:26 - Seven countries in six months 37:28 - Finding peace and gratitude in Greece 39:54 - What everyone's grateful for 42:47 - Wrapping up & what's next ⚠️ Disclaimer: We are not therapists or counsellors. This podcast shares personal lived experience and is not professional advice. Some content may be heavy — please take care while listening. Got a story, question, or feedback? Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com #VoicesUnlocked #Podcast #TrueStory #ChildhoodTrauma #AddictionRecovery #RaisedByGrandparents #MentalHealthMatters #SupportGroup #FloridaPrison #HealingJourney #Resilience #SiblingLove #TravelStories #Gratitude

  2. Jul 27

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 19 | Debunking Social Work Myths

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com The hosts of Voices Unlocked open with a disclaimer that they are not therapists, then welcome special guest Carla, a social worker with lived experience of having a dad in prison and a former placement student at Time Matters. They discuss how Carla connected with Lorna through placement and counselling training, how supportive and non-judgmental the Time Matters children and young people are, and the joy that can exist alongside sadness. The conversation covers stigma and fear around social workers, heavy caseloads and paperwork, why Carla values openness and appropriate sharing, and how media and court reporting can expose families’ addresses and identities without warning or adequate safeguarding. Carla encourages families not to fear referrals, to be honest, and remembers how supportive relationships can change perspectives. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:34 Meet the Guest Carla 01:18 How Carla Met Lorna 04:28 First Prison Visit Memories 05:13 Time Matters Group Magic 07:08 Media Stigma and Real Life 08:59 Lived Experience in Practice 10:02 Social Worker Myths Debunked 11:08 Workload and Paperwork Reality 16:31 Support Gaps and Advocacy Work 19:12 Knowing Your Rights 20:26 Media vs Safeguarding 21:14 When Your Address Is Published 21:47 Clear Communication Matters 23:30 Advice for Worried Families 24:55 Changing Social Work Narratives 26:07 Funny Social Worker Stories 29:29 Why We Stay in the Job 30:51 Lived Experience Builds Trust 34:10 Gratitude and Wrap Up

  3. Jul 20

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 18 | Bubbles & Brick Walls, Time Matters, and Lorna in the Hot Seat

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In this episode of Voices Unlocked, the hosts share a disclaimer about not being therapists and encourage listener self-care, then swap roles to put co-host Dr. Lorna Brooks “in the hot seat.” Lorna explains how she moved from wanting to be a child psychologist into prison research, initially focusing on women in custody before dedicating her work to children affected by parental imprisonment through projects like Time Matters. She describes her PhD research on how families experience support, including interviewing Liv’s mum, and explains the title “Bubbles and Brick Walls,” inspired by Liv’s drawing and another parent’s metaphor about barriers to help. Liv reflects on meeting Lorna at age eight, how Lorna’s safeguarding and advocacy helped reduce shame and empowered her to speak safely at conferences, and shares an example of Lorna supporting her family on her mum’s release day. They close with mutual gratitude, mention Lorna’s move to Australia, and invite listeners to share stories and tune in next time. Chapters: 00:00 Important Disclaimer 00:34 Role Reversal Setup 02:44 Lorna Origins 04:51 Prison Research Pivot 06:52 Meeting Olivia Family 11:54 PhD Journey 13:18 Bubbles And Brick Walls 15:53 Release Day Story 18:40 Giving Kids A Voice 21:13 Safe Space to Share 24:58 Healing Through Speaking Out 28:03 Bond Beyond the Journey 28:45 Kitchen Discos and Breakups 29:36 Ethics of Youth Visibility 31:48 Gratitude and Future Plans 34:43 Final Thanks and Sign-Off

  4. Jul 13

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 17 | Nanny Carol Returns

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com We welcome back Liv’s Nanny Carol, joking about messages praising Carol’s looks and discussing skincare and sun protection. Carol reflects on the prison visit process, including waiting with other families without judgement, preparing children for sniffer dogs, and the intense travel, queues, and anxiety involved. They discuss how visits can be especially difficult for neurodivergent children and families, mention efforts to make visits more neurodiversity-friendly, and describe Olivia’s childhood asthma and the stress of having inhalers stored in lockers. Carol talks about the fear and anger during Melanie’s release and why she couldn’t visit during the third imprisonment, while Olivia shares the mental health impact and family support. They end with gratitude for Nanny Ginger, including a brief FaceTime hello. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 06:10 Visit Waiting Room 08:16 Neurodiversity Challenges 12:58 Travel Day Stress 15:07 Asthma and Security 18:52 Release Day Anxiety 19:37 Teen Years Breakdown 27:29 School Contact Secret 28:47 First Visit for Megan 29:24 Posting Parcels to Prison 32:21 Scouse Comfort Culture 34:21 Watching the Film Back 36:01 Pseudonyms and Protection 46:51 Messiness and ADHD Banter 49:06 Gratitude and Nanny Ginger 52:30 Family Stories and Goodbye

  5. Jul 6

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 16 | The Media’s Impact on Children of Incarcerated Parents

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In this episode of Voices Unlocked, we discuss how media and social media coverage can affect children and families when a parent is imprisoned. Liv shares her experience of seeing a video involving her mum spread online when she was 13–14, leading to intense questions at school, worsening mental health, withdrawal from friends, truancy, and efforts to hide school communications by changing contact details.  The conversation explores how children can feel personally attacked by sensationalised court reporting that mentions parents’ status, family details, or addresses, creating fear and “collateral damage” for innocent relatives. Lauren explains her recent research on court reporting, the tension between children’s human rights and open justice, and early recommendations including training journalists for greater sensitivity and empowering families to understand terminology and complain about unethical reporting. Chapters: 00:00 Quick Disclaimer 00:34 Welcome Back 01:08 Morning Catch Up 03:59 Topic Media Begins 04:05 Mum In The Video 06:16 School Fallout 07:57 Hiding From School 10:48 Turning Point Support 12:27 Ripple Effect Reflection 13:20 Anger and Love 14:02 Media Pressure on Kids 16:01 Court Reports and Social Sharing 17:37 Families as Collateral Damage 19:59 Why Addresses Get Printed 23:02 Open Justice vs Child Rights 25:14 Empowerment and Complaints 28:32 Finding Solutions Together 30:57 Gratitude and Goodbye

  6. Jun 29

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 15 | Turning Lived Experience Into Change

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In episode 15 of Voices Unlocked, the hosts welcome Abby, who shares how she found Time Matters after her mum went to prison and how she became responsible for supporting her younger sister and grandmother while coping with the shock and emotions of a parent’s sentence. Abby discusses the importance of taking things day by day, seeking support, and allowing space for anger, embarrassment, and guilt. The conversation covers contributing to the short film That Girl to raise awareness about children affected by parental imprisonment, speaking at conferences including with prison inspectorates about improving visits, and consulting on police training to make arrests more child-friendly. Abby reflects on therapy, mental health, independence, and resilience through shared experiences, and the episode ends with gratitude and encouragement to reach out for support. Chapters: 00:00 Disclaimer And Care 00:34 Meet Abby And The Crew 03:15 How Abby Found Support 05:49 Turning Pain Into Film 11:07 Watching It With Mum 16:03 Advice For Other Kids 17:29 Prison Visits Reality Check 22:32 Speaking Truth To Professionals 24:15 Ikea Life Metaphor 24:41 What Kids Need 25:33 Working In Support 26:49 Home Leave Emotions 28:41 Lessons And Independence 30:03 Resilience In Community 32:18 Future Plans And Goals 33:10 Hillsborough Story 37:10 Child Friendly Arrests 42:46 Gratitude And Wrap Up

  7. Jun 23

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 14 | The Note on the Door

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com Episode 14 of Voices Unlocked features Janine, a Time Matters board director, sharing how she met Lorna and how her childhood was shaped when her stepdad - who was like a father to her - went to prison when she was 12/13. She describes police raids, a lack of safeguarding and support, stigma and ostracisation at school, housing insecurity, and becoming parentified while coping with anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder that went unnoticed because she performed well academically.  Janine also reflects on the impact and stress of prison visits and later working inside prisons as a substance misuse practitioner, where she saw systemic barriers to rehabilitation and the need to treat people with decency. She explains why Time Matters’ community matters, her current work leading a University of Liverpool justice research centre, training as a counsellor, and ends with hopes to remove stigma and strengthen family support. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:34 Episode Intro Guest Reveal 01:15 How We Met Again 03:24 Janine Lived Experience 05:04 Police Raid No Safeguarding 06:47 Visiting Remand Prison 08:42 Parentification Teen Pressure 10:14 Stigma Housing Instability 13:26 School Missed Mental Health 14:45 Friends Drift Away 16:18 Guilt Skipping Visits 18:05 What Visits Felt Like 19:29 Prison Visit Searches 20:23 Family Resentment Healing 20:46 Working Inside Prisons 22:26 Rehab Systems Fail 24:02 Detox Wing Reality 25:36 Treat People Humanely 26:55 Full Circle Staff Role 28:43 Time Matters Community 31:52 Owning Your Story 33:04 Career Purpose Path 34:20 Support Networks Self Care 37:23 Advice End Stigma 39:22 Gratitude Wrap Up

  8. Jun 15

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 13 | Nanny Carol on Family, Prison Visits, and Unconditional Love

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In Episode 13 of Voices Unlocked, Lorna and Liv welcome special guest Nanny Carol and begin with a disclaimer that they are not therapists, sharing lived experiences that may be heavy. Carol and Liv discuss their close-knit family, childhood memories, and Carol’s saying “I love you every day and twice on Sunday.” The conversation focuses on Liv’s mum being arrested while pregnant and later imprisoned again when Liv was eight, and what it was like for Carol as a mother and grandmother—fear, stigma, panic, and the challenges of court, delayed contact, and prison visits, including the distress of leaving and an unexpected closed visit. They also reflect on how prison routines, education, and courses helped Liv’s mum, stress the importance of rehabilitation, and offer advice to grandparents raising grandchildren to take things day by day and stay positive. Chapters: 00:00 Important Disclaimer 00:34 Meet Nanny Carol 01:03 Family Sayings and Bonds 03:41 First Arrest While Pregnant 05:13 ADHD and Vulnerability 07:52 Olivia Born Into Love 10:17 Childhood Memories and Trauma 14:43 Stigma and Self Blame 16:04 Traumatic Birth Story 20:41 Second Prison Sentence Begins 21:34 Court Delays Anxiety 23:08 Custody Silence Waiting 25:23 First Visit Fears 28:34 Prison Routine Benefits 32:26 Advice For Grandparents 36:07 Visits And Goodbyes 38:04 Family Love Gratitude

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About

🎙️Voices Unlocked Podcast Breaking Silence. Breaking Stigma Supporting youth with incarcerated parents You are more than your story✨

Information

  • Creator
    Voices Unlocked
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Voices Unlocked
  • Show Website
    Voices Unlocked