Four-part series on Midlands Prison airs on Virgin
'Inside Ireland’s Biggest Prison: True Lives' is a brand new four part documentary series beginning tonight (Wednesday) on Virgin Media One at 9pm.
In this documentary series we gain unprecedented access inside the country’s largest prison, The Midland’s Prison in Portlaoise. Cameras follow both prisoners and prison staff as they go about daily life inside the prison walls.
In this first episode of the series we will be introduced to the staff and inmates of The Midlands Prison as well as the prison’s Governor, Ethel Gavin.
We find out how those who are locked up and those who work in the prison go about building a life on the inside. We will also meet the prisoners and teachers in the Midlands Prison School. Prison Officer, Ciara McCarthy will introduce us to the B3 landing, the “independent living” landing, where the prisoners who have achieved the highest number of credits on the incentivised scheme live. We will learn how they earn their credits - at work, at school, in the gym - and also through their other pastimes, including painting and playing piano.
Also on the B3, we will meet David and Pedro, two prisoners from Colombia, currently serving seven years on charges of possessing cocaine. We will learn about their crime, about their friendship, about their experience in an Irish prison, far away from their families, and we will see them seeking to better their lives in the prison school and working in the prison tuck shop.
Cameras follow “Rake”, the prison officer who is in charge of the tuck shop, and hear about his unique approach to running his little corner of the prison. We will spend some time in the prison school and meet Anita, the school’s Vice Principal. We will also watch as the prisoners prepare for their Christmas pantomime.
Finally, on B3, we will meet Darren, a man who had every opportunity growing up - attending Castleknock College and CUS – but ended up in a life of addiction and crime. We will watch as Darren prepares to leave prison and faces into the reality of a life on the outside, where he has no home to go to.
Inside Ireland’s Biggest Prison: True Lives airs on Virgin Media One Wednesday 6th February at 9pm.