This week I have been watching a local series about our prison service in Northern Ireland, and one local prison, Maghaberry. If you can access BBC iplayer, it is free here: 

Stephen Nolan is a really famous local radio host, presenter and notorious devil's advocate. He's marmite personified. He visits the prison and learns about the justice it serves, the problems it has, stories from prisoners and the crimes the committed. 

It's a really fascinating series, crossing between true crime docu, history, humour (one prisoner keeps yelling "Stevie, they're treating us like criminals in here!🤣) and local politics. Of course at times it is heartbreaking to hear the crimes that see these men locked away, but also to see how this society treats prisoners. 

Watching it is the first time I really thought about what happens with justice beyond the courts, and the reality of how prisoners live out their time in prison. Many of them suffered really poor mental health, some had drug addictions and had suffered all sorts of abuse. It's a really thought provoking series, making you question everything from details of crimes and motives, to how justice is served and how prisoners can be treated fairly or unfairly. 

The series also showed some tragic scenes intentionally and unintentionally. One prisoner had some tragic mental health problems, while another seemed to have some sort of learning disability. You have to wonder if these men should be housed in a prison at all, or if surely they require a different facility to rehabilitate or punish them.

All in, i'd really recommend it, if you're interested in any of the topics covered.