Viral clip from CONEL student podcast sparks important conversation online

Thought-provoking student-led podcast discussing young people’s attitudes to incarceration goes viral, gaining over 671k views on Instagram.

Students from The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) created a podcast which has been shared and viewed widely online, initiating an important debate about how young people view the criminal justice system.

The podcast was the first in a series created at CONEL’s new podcasting hub within the college’s Tottenham Centre. The hub allows students to create and host podcasts on real-world matters that affect them and their peers, giving them the opportunity to make their voices heard within their communities and beyond.

The first episode was hosted by student presenter Lorna Graham, a Music Performance and Production – Level 3 Diploma student, and features guest speaker Kevin Koffi, the founder and director of Khady’s Dream, an organisation that provides crime prevention workshops for young people.

During the podcast, Lorna and Kevin discussed the challenge of reducing youth crime in the UK, covering individual experiences, and current statistics and exploring the consequences of crime for young adults.

Kevin’s journey within the criminal system began when he was 13 and led him to spend around 6 years in various prisons across the UK. Since his release, Kevin has directed his attention towards preventing other young people from having similar experiences by sharing his story with them and highlighting the real-world repercussions of youth crime.

Kevin shared an example from a workshop he had run at a local school. He wanted to understand how money impacts young people in their decision-making process. In the clip, he said: “Out of 40 young people, we asked them – For £1000, would you go to prison for two years or more? Out of the 40 people aged between 13 to 21, 37 of them said ‘Yes’.”

The clip showed how a lack of robust support can negatively affect the mindset of young adults, leaving them vulnerable to coercion or grooming by criminal gangs. After being posted to @imjustbait, the clip received around 671k views on Instagram and sparked an important conversation online.

Watch the Instagram video here!

Lorna Graham, the Music Performance and Production – Level 3 Diploma student who hosted the podcast said: “Many people have identified some of the issues as problems affecting young people and their lack of support and understanding into financial matters and not understanding that a 1k financial gain is short term but a criminal record is long term. […] It also highlights the financial struggles that many of those young people must be facing especially now during the cost of living crisis. […] These young people need guidance back to reality and structured learning about financial literacy and accountability.”

Tamara Lesniewska, Curriculum Manager for Creative and Media at Tottenham College, said “I think the reason this snippet struck a chord with so many online is because it encapsulates a broader issue of societal inequalities and the real-life issues faced by vulnerable young people. The idea that someone would go to prison for two years over a relatively small sum of money highlights systemic issues in our society and sheds light on the many challenges faced in disadvantaged communities. It’s a stark reminder of how punitive decisions can disproportionately impact those already struggling, and I believe that’s why it resonated with so many.”

Kevin is returning to the Tottenham Centre for the second episode of the podcast on 3 May to continue his discussion about showing young people the real-world consequences of crime early on to increase awareness of the potential outcomes of their actions. 

CONEL’s podcasting hub supports students in developing their technical broadcasting skills. Students receive individual support and personalised feedback during weekly sessions with experts from DJ&MC Academy, a youth arts organisation that provides innovative and practical workshops for young people and adults hoping to break into the music industry.

The college’s Creative Media department has also been running a short course in Podcast and Radio Production for students who want to expand their skill set and learn about the tools and techniques needed in this area.

If you have an interest in Digital Media courses or Music Production courses, why not take a look at our extensive range and apply now!

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