Filmed over seven months inside HMP Durham, 'Prison' offers unprecedented access to life behind bars. With a rare opportunity to film inside an English prison, the three-part series produced and directed by Paddy Wivell tells the human story on both sides of the door: staff and prisoners, and the real issues facing them.
Durham is a remand centre for the North East of England serving the local courts and prisons. With a vast weekly traffic of prisoners from driving offences to murderers to drug addicts, the prison is faced with ever changing demands, a pressure on bed space and complex prisoner needs. These challenging conditions at Durham offer a good reflection of the national issues currently facing the prison service.