Radio behind bars – The Polish case

There are as many as 157 closed-circuit prison radio stations across Poland. However, as they are almost completely cut off from the world outside, awareness of how they work, what content they broadcast and what role they fulfill is rather limited. This article seeks to address this lack of information. The goal is to characterize such radio stations, the programmes they offer and the role they play in prisons. The article also examines prison radio as a form of community broadcasting. Moreover, special attention is paid to the rehabilitative function of involvement in a radio production process. The main research materials are interviews with representatives of prison radio stations, a one-week programme sample from the prison in Olsztyn, the programmes submitted to the prison radio contest and a visit to the radio station in the predetention centre in Olsztyn.