28. Eating Fireballs: Is prison education a good idea?

In 1997 Lyle May murdered a young mother and her son, allegedly after being annoyed by them at a dinner party. He was later convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and is now on North Carolina’s Death Row. Should he be allowed to get a prison education? In this episode of Bad People, Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen discuss the link between prison education and violence and overcoming the self-stigmatisation of inmates. They also speak with Stephen Akpabio-Klementowski, who went to prison in 2002 and is now an Associate Lecturer in Criminology at The Open University.

He tells us about life behind bars, the challenges of learning in the noisy environment of a prison and whether rehabilitation and punishment can coexist. Warning: This episode contains strong language and references to murder and suicide. This episode contains archive from BBC Storyville College Behind Bars. Presenters: Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen Producer: Simona Rata Editor: Rami Tzabar Music: Matt Chandler Bad People is produced in partnership with The Open University and is a BBC Audio Science Production for BBC Sounds #BadPeople_BBC