Fathers Together is a six-part podcast series about young dads, imprisonment, and what it means to hold onto love, identity, and hope in the toughest of places.
Launched on Father’s Day, 15th June, and hosted by Roifield Brown, this deeply human series shares the real stories of five fathers from racially minoritised communities who became dads young and served time behind bars.
In each episode, we meet a father and explore how his imprisonment has shaped his relationship with his children and family. Through interviews, reflection, and expert insights, the podcast explores how these men stayed connected to their children, what they lost, and what they’re fighting to rebuild.
From bedtime stories told over the phone to the emotional cost of silence and stigma, Fathers Together shines a light on voices too often left out of conversations on prisons, parenting, and masculinity.
These are stories of rupture and repair. Of accountability and love. Of fatherhood behind bars — and what comes after.
The series will run for six episodes, released every 15th of the month, with the first episode, Julian: Becoming a Father Behind Bars released, on Father’s Day.
Listen on:
The Fathers Together Study
Developed in collaboration with the Race Equality Foundation and based on research led by Dr. Anita Mehay from City St George’s University of London and Professor Richard Watt from UCL, the podcast is part of a wider NIHR-funded study working to co-design parenting support with young fathers in prison.
There are around 88,000 prisoners in England and Wales: most are men, and many are young fathers. These young men face multiple and overlapping disadvantages: racism, school exclusion, poor mental health, and trauma.
Becoming a father under the age of 25 is challenging in itself. Fatherhood in prison adds new layers of isolation, stigma, and disconnection from their children.
Learn more about the Fathers Together study.
