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Pioneering documentary-maker Rex Bloomstein reflects on more than 50 years of television and radio programmes he’s made about the British penal system, offering a unique insight into the events and issues which has led to the current crisis in our prisons. Rex’s ground breaking television series about life In Strangeways prison in Manchester - as well as hugely revealing documentaries about prisoners serving life-sentences, the parole system and the work of the Prison Inspectorate - reveals a prison service under huge pressure. His programmes observe prisoners sharing single cells, suffering the indignity of slopping out and being treated with contempt by prisoner officers. He’s been witness to neglect of prisoners’ mental illness and summary justice dispensed to those who break the rules. While he has seen reform and improvements over the years, many of the intrinsic shortcomings persist. Former Chief Inspector of Prisons, Nick Hardwick, argues that prison simply does not work. Sir Marin Narey, former Director General of the prison service reveals how his decision to join the prison service, and his commitment to a policy of introducing decency to prison life, was inspired by watching Rex’s 1979 documentary cataloguing the demeaning conditions in Strangeways. And Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, talks about the insidious discrimination which exists in prisons to this day. Producer: Brian King Additional Research: Naomi Bloomstein Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
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