The Documentary Podcast

Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor, once told Michael Goldfarb of people going to their deaths at Auschwitz asking who will say Kaddish for me? Kaddish is the Jewish prayer for the dead. On the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz' liberation Michael Goldfarb explores the origins and meaning of Kaddish. How did a prayer for the dead, in which death is not mentioned, become the centrepiece of Jewish mourning?

Around the world, prison populations are bursting at the seams, but in some European countries, they are closing and reoffending rates are down. The trend has been attributed to a novel approach to justice, one that places the mental health of offenders at its heart. Forensic psychologist Dr Jenny Okolo investigates whether prison systems around the world could benefit from a similar approach. Jenny speaks to Dr Marrit de Vries from the Dutch Institute for Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, to learn about a novel approach to mental health intervention pioneered in the Netherlands. And in Sweden, we hear from Dr Martin Lardén from Karolinska Institutet’s Center for violence prevention, who discusses the efficacy of the Risk-Need-Responsivity model, an approach which positions the offender at the heart of the strategies devised to address the causes of their crime. And Rivelino Rigters, who draws on lived experience from within the criminal justice system, reflects on how a kinder, community-focused approach could stop crime from happening in the first place.

A mechanical engineer by day, Hania Zataari felt compelled to put her skills to use as the war intensified in Lebanon. Hailing from the south, one of the worst hit areas in the country, she has created a chatbot on WhatsApp that simplifies access to much-needed aid. BBC Trending follows Hania as she helps to bring aid to those affected by the war between Israel and Hezbollah. We also speak to people who have been helped by her chatbot and an aid volunteer to paint a picture of how Hania’s chatbot might be streamlining the service, as well as aid organisations who have shed light on the trials and tribulations of getting to people in south Lebanon.

Each year young people from the tiny West African nation of The Gambia try to reach Europe through “The Backway” - a costly, perilous journey over land and sea.Many do not make it. In recent years, the EU has done deals with several North African nations to clamp down on irregular migration. Though human rights groups say the treatment of migrants can be brutal - allegations the authorities deny. But each year thousands of African migrants say they have no choice but to return home.It can be a struggle to return. Some are traumatised by their experience and face stigma for having failed to reach Europe. Others are already planning to try again.For Assignment, Alex Last travels to The Gambia to find out what happens to migrants who've risked everything to get to Europe, but end up back home.