Breaking In Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:51:29 -0400 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1943879 en-us © 2026 Breaking In yes 034d1853-c01e-5331-a2d0-fbf7eb55fc53 andy@runforyourlife.org.uk Andy Mouncey episodic false You think it's hard breaking out of prison?
You want to try breaking in.

What does it take for one man with no history of prison or prison service to earn the right to work with people on both sides of the the bars? 
What does that feel like - and why should you care anyway?
Andy Mouncey Founder of Run For Your Life CIC does not work for the Prison Service. Here he talks candidly about how it feels to do the work he does in this most challenging of places, and how that continues to generate more questions than answers. 

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Andy Mouncey andy@runforyourlife.org.uk https://storage.buzzsprout.com/j5bbb2lkqg9na9aprffuyyf9c1ms?.jpg Breaking In You Are More Than You Think You Are More Than You Think We take another deep dive into Andy's prison program and the what and why of the key design features many of which have taken a decade or so to refine: Physically Active Learning, mind-body connection, managing mood, working to targets, competition, community and progressive overload - and what Andy's version of a supportive environment in a prison looks and feels like.

We end with a short foray into policy and what it might take to halt the seemingly inevitable march to a 6-figure prison population: Bravery, anyone?

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> We take another deep dive into Andy's prison program and the what and why of the key design features many of which have taken a decade or so to refine: Physically Active Learning, mind-body connection, managing mood, working to targets, competition, community and progressive overload - and what Andy's version of a supportive environment in a prison looks and feels like.

We end with a short foray into policy and what it might take to halt the seemingly inevitable march to a 6-figure prison population: Bravery, anyone?

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-16981380 Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100 1307 2 4 full false In Praise Of People In Praise Of People It's taken a decade or so for Andy to really recognise the risks, limits and costs of his choice to do this work as a sole practitioner but here he is. In this episode he talks about the steps he has taken to move away from professional isolation as well as the goal to move at least some of the work upstream.

He also lifts the lid on the what and why of his pre-start courtship process that he has refined over the years before a prison program even gets a look-in:

  1. Is there a NEED here I can contribute to?
  2. Am I welcome and WANTED? 

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> It's taken a decade or so for Andy to really recognise the risks, limits and costs of his choice to do this work as a sole practitioner but here he is. In this episode he talks about the steps he has taken to move away from professional isolation as well as the goal to move at least some of the work upstream.

He also lifts the lid on the what and why of his pre-start courtship process that he has refined over the years before a prison program even gets a look-in:

  1. Is there a NEED here I can contribute to?
  2. Am I welcome and WANTED? 

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-16981219 Fri, 30 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100 1306 2 3 full false My Mentoring Year With PwC: Prison Governors Speak My Mentoring Year With PwC: Prison Governors Speak Andy's unique mentoring model pairs a prison leader with a senior partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in a reciprocal relationship lasting 12months. A first intake of 13 pairs were launched last year and as the first round comes to a close the prison half of two of those pairs talk about their experience and what it's meant to them in and out of role.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy's unique mentoring model pairs a prison leader with a senior partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in a reciprocal relationship lasting 12months. A first intake of 13 pairs were launched last year and as the first round comes to a close the prison half of two of those pairs talk about their experience and what it's meant to them in and out of role.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-17209237 Thu, 22 May 2025 15:00:00 +0100 1750 2 5 full false More In Common More In Common Why would you put a prison leader and a corporate executive in a mutual mentoring model and what's in it for them? Andy explains the how and why of his unique partnership. 

We also talk bubbles and silos; the importance of getting out of them in order to recalibrate frames of reference and to check in with what 'good' actually looks like. We finish with Andy's somewhat different take on playing the long game and his reveal that - like David Attenborough - he plans to keep going till his mid-90s and what that means for the lifespan v heathspan equation.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Why would you put a prison leader and a corporate executive in a mutual mentoring model and what's in it for them? Andy explains the how and why of his unique partnership. 

We also talk bubbles and silos; the importance of getting out of them in order to recalibrate frames of reference and to check in with what 'good' actually looks like. We finish with Andy's somewhat different take on playing the long game and his reveal that - like David Attenborough - he plans to keep going till his mid-90s and what that means for the lifespan v heathspan equation.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-16923577 Fri, 02 May 2025 11:00:00 +0100 1473 3 2 full false The Most Challenging Time The Most Challenging Time One of the reasons Andy hasn't recorded any new material for a while is that he's been using all his bandwidth to Deal With Demons - most of which have been unleashed as a consequence of the work. While not fully out of the woods just yet he's regained enough confidence to pause at the podcast studio and reflect that of course the last few months have also included some major personal and professional milestones too. 

This is a wide-ranging episode that fills at least some of the silence since the last one: Vicarious trauma and solo working, prison inspectorate and impact assessment reports and residential retreats are all covered - as is that hope that has come with the appointment of James Timpson as Prisons Minister. 

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> One of the reasons Andy hasn't recorded any new material for a while is that he's been using all his bandwidth to Deal With Demons - most of which have been unleashed as a consequence of the work. While not fully out of the woods just yet he's regained enough confidence to pause at the podcast studio and reflect that of course the last few months have also included some major personal and professional milestones too. 

This is a wide-ranging episode that fills at least some of the silence since the last one: Vicarious trauma and solo working, prison inspectorate and impact assessment reports and residential retreats are all covered - as is that hope that has come with the appointment of James Timpson as Prisons Minister. 

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-16923431 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1285 3 1 full false Fitness First: Why It Works Fitness First: Why It Works Most of the people behind bars are not there for reasons of 'organised' crime: They have not sat down and done a rational cost-benefit analysis of their crime and sentence before going out and doing the deed. 
Most people are there because of a failure to manage their emotions at a crucial time. Often - not always - drugs and alcohol play a part in that.
Exercise and physical activity give people a chance to practice the skills of managing their mood and to experience agency over their thoughts-behaviour often for the first time. It is the reason why Andy does what he does in the way he does it, and here he explains it a little bit more. 

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Most of the people behind bars are not there for reasons of 'organised' crime: They have not sat down and done a rational cost-benefit analysis of their crime and sentence before going out and doing the deed. 
Most people are there because of a failure to manage their emotions at a crucial time. Often - not always - drugs and alcohol play a part in that.
Exercise and physical activity give people a chance to practice the skills of managing their mood and to experience agency over their thoughts-behaviour often for the first time. It is the reason why Andy does what he does in the way he does it, and here he explains it a little bit more. 

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-13800959 Fri, 05 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000 1447 2 3 full false The Relationship Building Business The Relationship Building Business Andy argues that people in prison stand and fall on their capacity to build, nuture and repair relationships, and that this is crucial skill that needs to bridge both sides of the bars if the place is to be a safe one.
In the second of two post-Covid How The Work Is Harder Now podcasts he explains what is different now,  how that affects people like him doing this kind of work and what he thinks this means for the people in charge.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy argues that people in prison stand and fall on their capacity to build, nuture and repair relationships, and that this is crucial skill that needs to bridge both sides of the bars if the place is to be a safe one.
In the second of two post-Covid How The Work Is Harder Now podcasts he explains what is different now,  how that affects people like him doing this kind of work and what he thinks this means for the people in charge.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-13800925 Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000 1147 2 2 full false Covid: Unintended Consequences Covid: Unintended Consequences Some Good News - & The Work Is Harder Now.
Covid has changed the game for the people in our prisons on either side of the bars.
Some of that was planned for and much of it seemingly was not, and as time goes on it becomes harder to unravel Cause & Effect as compound and cumulative take more of a hold. 
There are differences in People, Policy and Place now that weren't present in 2019 or were way less and these are making it harder for sole practitioners like Andy to come in and do the work they do.
Here Andy explains some of what he is experiencing as he re-starts his work behind bars with new funding, and what that means for him and his practice.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Some Good News - & The Work Is Harder Now.
Covid has changed the game for the people in our prisons on either side of the bars.
Some of that was planned for and much of it seemingly was not, and as time goes on it becomes harder to unravel Cause & Effect as compound and cumulative take more of a hold. 
There are differences in People, Policy and Place now that weren't present in 2019 or were way less and these are making it harder for sole practitioners like Andy to come in and do the work they do.
Here Andy explains some of what he is experiencing as he re-starts his work behind bars with new funding, and what that means for him and his practice.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-13800821 Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:00:00 +0100 1429 2 1 full false Hope Part 3: It's A Bumpy Ride - & Smoother If Fitness First Hope Part 3: It's A Bumpy Ride - & Smoother If Fitness First Andy explains the what and why of his prison program design: Physical activity challenges in groups to enable people to experience agency and community sometimes for the first time, and using this as a gateway to hearts and minds. He talks about the elusive nature of success in this kind of work and how he's learned to quantify it so he can hold on to hope and present it to others. 


These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy explains the what and why of his prison program design: Physical activity challenges in groups to enable people to experience agency and community sometimes for the first time, and using this as a gateway to hearts and minds. He talks about the elusive nature of success in this kind of work and how he's learned to quantify it so he can hold on to hope and present it to others. 


These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-13137503 Fri, 08 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0100 762 1 9 full false Only Shadows Remain Only Shadows Remain We are sending more people to prison more often, earlier and for longer. 
Our prison population has grown by 3/4 in the last few decades and is projected to keep growing. The fastest growing group are older men and it is with this group that Andy has been working with. Here he talks candidly about the sobering reality of living and working in an environment such as this, how difficult and fragile this work can be and how easily the evidence of success can be wiped away.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> We are sending more people to prison more often, earlier and for longer. 
Our prison population has grown by 3/4 in the last few decades and is projected to keep growing. The fastest growing group are older men and it is with this group that Andy has been working with. Here he talks candidly about the sobering reality of living and working in an environment such as this, how difficult and fragile this work can be and how easily the evidence of success can be wiped away.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-13137467 Fri, 11 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0100 774 1 8 full false Hope 2: Some Stuff Is Bad - Most People Are Good Hope 2: Some Stuff Is Bad - Most People Are Good Here's the good news: Most crime is not Organised - or done as a result of a cold rational decision. Most people are inside for other reasons - reasons that can be treated or worked with. In other words there's hope - but you have to look and think differently to hold it.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Here's the good news: Most crime is not Organised - or done as a result of a cold rational decision. Most people are inside for other reasons - reasons that can be treated or worked with. In other words there's hope - but you have to look and think differently to hold it.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-13115391 Thu, 20 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0100 1038 1 7 full false Hope Part 1: Yes We Can Hope Part 1: Yes We Can It's all too easy to focus on the dark side when delving into criminal justice.
There is dark and there is also Hope - and that hope can start today with each of us.
Andy doesn't have a manifesto but if he did the first early draft version would be six lines: These are those six.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> It's all too easy to focus on the dark side when delving into criminal justice.
There is dark and there is also Hope - and that hope can start today with each of us.
Andy doesn't have a manifesto but if he did the first early draft version would be six lines: These are those six.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-13115294 Tue, 27 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0100 591 1 6 full false New Work New World New Work New World Covid may be officially over but the legacy is lingering way longer in the prison system than in society at large. As Andy gets ready to start new NHS-funded work with elderly, disabled and vulnerable men he talks about how to hold on to Hope amidst the despair, and breaking the strangle-hold of the culture and practice of 'Learned Helplessness' - an insidious and unexpected consequence of the lockdown years.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Covid may be officially over but the legacy is lingering way longer in the prison system than in society at large. As Andy gets ready to start new NHS-funded work with elderly, disabled and vulnerable men he talks about how to hold on to Hope amidst the despair, and breaking the strangle-hold of the culture and practice of 'Learned Helplessness' - an insidious and unexpected consequence of the lockdown years.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-12067679 Fri, 24 Feb 2023 18:00:00 +0000 2953 5 full false Breakthrough Breakthrough Andy lands his first contracted work as our prison system tries to get to grips with the cost of covid for staff and men inside counted in terms of mental, physical and emotional health and function. 
10 years on from his first contact with our criminal justice system Andy talks about 'stickability' and earning the right to be invited in to do the work. 
He gives an insight to his work during covid supporting prison governors online that kept him in the game and the governors sane at their most challenging time in role.
He also speaks about his first contacts post-Covid with the men he worked with pre-lockdown and lifts the lid on what life inside was really like.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy lands his first contracted work as our prison system tries to get to grips with the cost of covid for staff and men inside counted in terms of mental, physical and emotional health and function. 
10 years on from his first contact with our criminal justice system Andy talks about 'stickability' and earning the right to be invited in to do the work. 
He gives an insight to his work during covid supporting prison governors online that kept him in the game and the governors sane at their most challenging time in role.
He also speaks about his first contacts post-Covid with the men he worked with pre-lockdown and lifts the lid on what life inside was really like.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-12061125 Tue, 17 Jan 2023 15:00:00 +0000 2546 1 4 full false First Hopes First Hopes Nothing Star Wars here: Andy talks about the what and why of the formation of his not-profit Run For Your Life in 2017, his hopes that he had and continues to have and how these compare to the reality of this type of work. He ends the 'cast talking movingly about the emotional impact of the work and how he is learning to deal with it.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Nothing Star Wars here: Andy talks about the what and why of the formation of his not-profit Run For Your Life in 2017, his hopes that he had and continues to have and how these compare to the reality of this type of work. He ends the 'cast talking movingly about the emotional impact of the work and how he is learning to deal with it.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-10822681 Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:00:00 +0100 1992 1 3 full false Episode 2: First Tests Episode 2: First Tests After nearly 10 years involving many false starts and progressive toe-dipping, Andy finally secures his first contracted work in a prison.
Then the Covid pandemic hit, prisons went into lockdown and all work stops.
Here Andy talks about what it took earn the right to be invited inside and what happened when programs of his design met reality for the first time.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> After nearly 10 years involving many false starts and progressive toe-dipping, Andy finally secures his first contracted work in a prison.
Then the Covid pandemic hit, prisons went into lockdown and all work stops.
Here Andy talks about what it took earn the right to be invited inside and what happened when programs of his design met reality for the first time.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Mouncey Buzzsprout-10513315 Wed, 27 Apr 2022 11:00:00 +0100 2597 1 2 full false Episode 1: First Contact Episode 1: First Contact What does it take for one man with no history of prison or prison service to earn the right to work with people on the inside of the bars? What does that feel like - and why should you care anyway?
Andy Mouncey Founder of Run For Your Life CIC www.runforyourlife.org.uk talks candidly and from the heart.

Episode 1
Andy's first time inside is a visceral memory even today. Here he reflects on that and on other first contacts and then brings you right up to date with his most recent first: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020-21.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> What does it take for one man with no history of prison or prison service to earn the right to work with people on the inside of the bars? What does that feel like - and why should you care anyway?
Andy Mouncey Founder of Run For Your Life CIC www.runforyourlife.org.uk talks candidly and from the heart.

Episode 1
Andy's first time inside is a visceral memory even today. Here he reflects on that and on other first contacts and then brings you right up to date with his most recent first: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020-21.

These podcasts don't get made unless Tom Haigh of Sound Post Production www.tomhaigh.com and interviewer Tony Maguire www.boxkik.com decide to roll out of bed. Fortunately for me I still seem to be giving them reason to do so. Chapeau, gentlemen.

]]> Andy Buzzsprout-10114904 Mon, 21 Feb 2022 15:00:00 +0000 2281 1 1 full false