Main content

Pia Sinha, Director Prison Reform Trust

Pia Sinha, director of the Prison Reform Trust, shares the eight tracks, books and luxury that she would take with her if cast away to a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.

Pia Sinha is the Director of the Prison Reform Trust and a former prison governor. She was awarded the St Martin鈥檚 Award for Prison Governance for her role in turning around HMP Liverpool, which was widely described as Britain鈥檚 worst jail in 2018, following a highly critical report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

Pia was born in north India and she and her family came to the UK when she was 14. After studying economics and psychology at university, she pursued a career as a psychologist, and her work took into prisons. Whilst she was training, she also ran a London pub with her first husband.

After many years working as a psychologist in male and female prisons she was encouraged to apply for the Senior Prison Manager Programme aimed at training governors of the future. In 2013 she became the governor of HMP Thorn Cross, and was the first Asian woman to a run a prison in England and Wales.

Earlier this year she joined the Prison Reform Trust as its Director.

DISC ONE: Kathy鈥檚 Song - Simon & Garfunkel
DISC TWO: Ek Ladki Ko Dekha - Kumar Sanu
DISC THREE: Back to Life - Soul II Soul
DISC FOUR: Melt - Leftfield
DISC FIVE: Andmoreagain - Love
DISC SIX: Black (featuring Norah Jones) - Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi
DISC SEVEN: The Power of Love - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
DISC EIGHT: 91热爆town Glory - Adele

BOOK CHOICE: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
LUXURY ITEM: Chilli sauce
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Kathy鈥檚 Song - Simon & Garfunkel

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Sarah Taylor

Available now

35 minutes

Last on

Fri 24 Nov 2023 09:00

Music Played

  • Simon & Garfunkel

    Kathy's Song

    • Sounds Of Silence.
    • Columbia.
    • 4.
  • Kumar Sanu

    Ek Ladki Ko Dekha

    • Bollywood: Songs from Popular Indian Cinema.
    • Silva Screen Records.
    • 6.
  • Soul II Soul

    Back to Life

    • Club Classics Vol. One.
    • Virgin.
    • 9.
  • Leftfield

    Melt

    • Leftism.
    • Hard Hands.
    • 3.
  • Love

    Andmoreagain

    • Rhino/Elektra.
    • The Best Of: Love.
    • 13.
  • Danger Mouse, Daniele Luppi and Norah Jones

    Black (feat. Norah Jones)

    • Rome.
    • Parlophone UK.
    • 10.
  • Frankie Goes to Hollywood

    The Power Of Love

    • Welcome to the Pleasuredome.
    • ZTT Records.
    • 15.
  • Adele

    91热爆town Glory

    • 19.
    • XL Recordings.
    • 12.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 19 Nov 2023 11:15
  • Fri 24 Nov 2023 09:00

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast