Crime and Punishment

Intended for use with the most dangerous criminals, the UK's Imprisonment for Public Protection program used indeterminate prison sentences for the worst offenders. It’s now been phased out but there are still those trapped in the scheme with no release date planned. At times harrowing, this film follows two IPP prisoners as they attempt to convince the system that they are safe to be set free.

With inmates locked down for 23 hours a day, Winchester Prison is a seething cauldron of barely suppressed resentment. The prisoners angrily protest, the staff can’t cope with this continual aggression. Cameras record 48 hours in this febrile atmosphere, as simmering rage reaches boiling point and inadequacies are laid bare. A disturbing, unflinching portrait of a system at breaking point.

With rampant drug use, self-harming issues, inmates locked down for extended periods and a shortage of staff, Winchester Prison is in meltdown. While prisoners continually protest and the guards attempt to keep order, this eye-opening, and at times highly disturbing documentary goes behind the scenes and reveals what the governor and her staff can conjure up to quell this explosive situation.

How do you decide whether a criminal, convicted for a violent crime, is ready to be released and no longer poses a danger to the public? This often distressing film explores this dilemma as William, who has served 15 years for attempted murder, is readied for possible release. Both his parole officer and his victim discuss whether he’s still too dangerous to be released back into society.

One mistake in judgement and a dangerous offender is back on the streets. This revealing true crime documentary on BBC Select investigates the work of probation officers trying to decide which criminals are safe to be released and which ones still need to be behind bars. What criteria is used and how are potentially fatal oversights, which could lead to dangerous individuals being freed, avoided?

Enter a jail within a jail - The Segregation Unit - in this true-crime documentary on BBC Select. Venture inside the place where the most disturbed prison inmates are held. This intense film reveals a little seen world of isolation, where prison officers struggle to cope with complex, often violent individuals. But does this type of additional punishment cause more harm than good?