“Radio Free” – Sweden’s first prison radio

Radio free makes podcasts both inside and outside of prisons.  We work with individuals who has committed a crime, or struggles with addiction.  Many of our shows are about what leads to addiction and crime and how to choose another path. The project has been around for since 2011  and we have broadcasted our show locally on FM radio in Stockholm and on the web.

There is a common story in society about who the criminal is, how he or she lives and behaves. This story is everywhere: In the news, fiction, movies and music. We are fed with pictures of terrible crimes, community costs and suffering. All this affects our view of the criminal, creates distance and an image of a parallel society. A society we do not have access to, populated by people we can neither know nor understand. A divide between US and THEM.

Because locked institutions are isolated from the outside world, most people do not know how it works inside and how you’re affected by being incarcerated. At Radio Free, we want to build bridges between these two worlds and give the listener a chance to see and understand the people behind the criminal acts.

Our method is to introduce the basics of radio production to beginners, including: Interview technology, dramaturgy and what it takes to be a good host. Through exercises and conversations in groups, participants formulate what stories they want to tell and they use their new skills to make a radio show together.