Hlavní stránka Info portálu ZČU

"What was missing in the Czech environment was a prison podcast that was not focused on the tabloidization of the topic, but rather on its substance. I try to invite people to the podcast who I find interesting from my experience and who have interesting stories and experiences that the public may not even know about," said Lukáš Dirga, assistant professor at the Department of Sociology and Social Work at the Faculty of Arts of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen.

The podcast Ostnatý drát has been recorded by a sociologist at the university's radio station Wéčko since the beginning of this year. Its next episode, featuring the Czech singer and actor Tomáš Klus, will be published on 15 May at 3 pm. You can look forward to hearing about the singer's concerts for prisoners directly behind the bars of Czech prisons without payment, as well as how his visits to prisons have influenced him in his personal and professional life.

"Playing around the prisons was introduced into our lives by the chaplain of the prison in Pilsen na Borech, Blažej Pelán. He came up with the idea that we could play a concert there. So we played with the band and it was such a powerful experience for all of us that we agreed to do a whole tour. This tour has been going on for seven years now," explained Tomáš Klus. "You go through the prison gates and you're hit by the hardship and also the horde of prejudices that we grew up with. Meeting the prisoners themselves showed me that I myself was full of prejudices that these people often break down. I'm happy when I have time to be there with them and talk for a while. It's quite enlightening," Klus said.

"Our prisons wouldn't be bursting at the seams if we cuddled more children. Many prisoners lack that foundation in life and don't have the right behaviour patterns. They then do things that either draw attention to their existence, or they do things the way they feel, and often don't even know they are wrong," the artist added.

In the episodes broadcast so far, which you can listen back to in Czech, for example, here, you could meet different guests and topics. In the first episode, titled "Everything is a bit different in the Afghan prison system", Lukáš Dirga talks with Ondřej Kolář about the work of the grievance prevention department in prisons, the infiltration of illegal substances into the facility and the risk of extremism in the Czech environment. They also discuss the training mission of the Czech Prison Service in Afghanistan, which Kolář participated in in 2012.

The second episode features an interview with Anna Šabatová, former ombudsman, who shares her experiences of imprisonment in communist prisons. They discuss the conditions of imprisonment, the challenges of the Czech prison system and the history of the ombudsman's office.

In the third episode, "The essence of my spiritual ministry is being present among the prisoners," Lukáš Dirga talks with Blažej Pelán about the ministry of the chaplain in prison, spiritual work with prisoners, and the relationship between clergy and prisoners.

The fourth episode, entitled "The worlds of culture and prison can be very mutually enriching", features an interview with Lenka Tyrpeklova about the interconnection of the worlds of culture and prison, the artistic treatment of the prison world and the preparation of a theatre performance with prisoners in Bělušice prison.

New episodes of the Ostnatý drát podcast are always released around the middle of the month.