91Èȱ¬

This is the story of Gary, who served a prison sentence for his role in the supply for £4.2million of heroin.
But this eye-catching conviction is only a fraction of Gary’s story.
Gary grew up in Dagenham, in Essex. Very early on in his life he developed strategies to help him fit in with other children in school – strategies that sparked a remarkable chain of events which have led him to imprisonment … and then into the world of conceptual art.
By casting our eye back to Gary’s childhood and early adulthood, it’s possible to see characteristics that would influence the pathway his life would take.
Is it possible to prevent crime by understanding the root causes of offending behaviour?

Sally Tilt and Dr Kerensa Hocken are forensic psychologists who work in prisons.

They help people in prison to look at the harm they’ve caused to other people, understand why it happened and work out how to make changes to prevent further harm after they’ve been released.

In Behind the Crime, they take the time to understand the life of someone whose crimes have led to harm and, in some cases, imprisonment.

The job of the forensic psychologists is to dig deep into Gary’s story, to understand the sequence of events that got Gary to the point where he committed a crime.
For details of organisations that can provide help and support, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline

Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Editor: Clare Fordham
Behind the Crime is a co-production between 91Èȱ¬ Long Form Audio and the Prison Radio Association.