In this powerful clip from Red Light Busking Presents Kanda Vol.1: Bedroom Shut, Music Up, the speaker reflects on coming out of prison, rebuilding his life, and spending decades working in the community to make a difference. Having lived through the system and later studied it from social, economic and criminal perspectives, he challenges the idea that the criminal justice system is only about justice. Instead, he argues that it operates like an industry — with prisons, transport, contracts, courts, staff and private companies all connected to punishment. Part of the storyline Over-Representation of African Caribbeans in the Criminal Justice System, this clip asks a difficult question: who benefits when certain communities remain over-represented in prison? Hashtags:

In this short clip from Red Light Busking Presents Kanda Vol.1: Bedroom Shut, Music Up, the speaker reflects on friendship, love, pregnancy and the impact of prison on family life. She shares how she had known her partner since the age of 13, became an item at 18, and was pregnant when he first went to prison. Their son was only 11 days old when his first outing became a visit to see his dad in prison. Part of the storyline exploring the over-representation of African Caribbeans in the criminal justice system, this clip shows how prison does not only affect the person serving the sentence. It affects partners, children, relationships and whole families over many years.

In this short clip from Red Light Busking Presents Kanda Vol.1: Bedroom Shut, Music Up, the speakers reflects on the fear and pain of seeing their son enter prison. Describing it as one of the worst times of their life, even worse than their own experience of jail, because they feared their son would be lost to the system. The clip explores how youth custody can become a revolving door, where young people keep returning unless they are mentally strong, supported and given a real way out. Part of the storyline Over-Representation of African Caribbeans in the Criminal Justice System, this clip asks what happens when young Black boys enter a system that can be difficult to escape.

In this short clip from Red Light Busking Presents Kanda Vol.1: Bedroom Shut, Music Up, the speakers reflects on the moment prison became real. Describing being around older people who had already gone through the system, the pressure of being “next in line”, and the frightening reality of entering prison as a 17-year-old girl surrounded by people convicted of serious crimes. Part of the storyline Over-Representation of African Caribbeans in the Criminal Justice System, this clip explores how young people can be pulled into cycles of crime, loyalty, fear and punishment before they fully understand the consequences.