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Original poster

Time - Prison drama on BBC

57 replies

Fireangels · 30/10/2023 17:15

Last night I was watching the new prison drama about three new inmates at a women’s prison. It left me wondering whether or not it was realistic regarding the single mother of three who was jailed for defrauding her electricity supplier.

Genuine questions:

She claimed she had done this as she was unable to afford to keep her children warm. Would she have qualified for help from her electric supplier with her bills? Would she be entitled to claim Universal Credit?

Would she even have been sent to prison? This seems to be an offence caused by poverty. Apart from the devastating effects on this woman, losing her job, home and having her children taken into care, surely it’s not cost effective to have three children fostered, and then have to pay benefits to the mother on her release- especially where she will struggle to find employment having served a custodial sentence.

Sorry if these questions appear insensitive, but I am genuinely curious about this.

OP posts:
Chiaseedling · 30/10/2023 17:18

I saw it too. They said something about it being ‘aggravated’?

Also was interested in the set up
of the prison block - I’ve never seen a programme showing a prison where the inmates have a common room, food on the hob, TV, phone in room etc. And surprised that a convicted murderer would be in that setting - looked low category to me. Don’t want to give a spoiler but surely she’d be vulnerable given her crime.

Beezknees · 30/10/2023 17:28

You don't get help for your energy bills just for being a single parent but there are funds allocated for people with debt and money problems. You have to prove that you can't afford it though by doing budgeting forms and it's usually done via Stepchange

VickyEadieofThigh · 30/10/2023 17:31

I didn't believe she'd have got a custodial sentence for this, especially as it was her first offence. Suspended at the most.

Jellycatspyjamas · 30/10/2023 17:32

Women tend to be imprisoned for fraud and theft - over 50% of women imprisoned for those offences as opposed to men where most are in prison for violent or sexual offences so yes it’s realistic that she’d be in prison for fraud.

OhComeOnFFS · 30/10/2023 17:35

I'm pretty sure probation are involved if there's the chance of a custodial sentence. She wouldn't have just been sentenced and taken to prison without social workers being aware of that, too. That was just nonsense.

PumpkinTerror · 30/10/2023 17:37

Yes women are far more likely to serve time for fraud and theft than men.
I know it is likely because of overcrowding in male prisons but it does smack of much higher expectations of women in society doesn't it!

OhComeOnFFS · 30/10/2023 17:38

But this woman was a single mother and it was her first offence. They wouldn't just send her off to prison without a thought to who'd pick up her children. She might have got a suspended sentence, but six months when she has no history? That doesn't seem likely.

jeaux90 · 30/10/2023 17:40

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tv-licence-fee-women-convictions-b1763192.html

Women are ten times for likely to be convicted for not paying TV license than men, so yes, it's believable

MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 30/10/2023 17:43

OhComeOnFFS · 30/10/2023 17:38

But this woman was a single mother and it was her first offence. They wouldn't just send her off to prison without a thought to who'd pick up her children. She might have got a suspended sentence, but six months when she has no history? That doesn't seem likely.

Yeah I bet her case notes would be different and open a few eyes!

I know it's only tv, but I work in the environment and know there's always more to it than the index offence

Flamingo68 · 30/10/2023 17:47

Not watched it, but might the character be lying about her offence to hide something that would be less tolerated by other prisoners?

SweetFemaleAttitude · 30/10/2023 17:48

It said the crime included aggravating factors after she was told, no, people don't usually go to prison for leccy theft. So she got a custodial sentence due to the aggravating factors, whatever they were.

tulippa · 30/10/2023 17:50

Also was interested in the set up
of the prison block - I’ve never seen a programme showing a prison where the inmates have a common room, food on the hob, TV, phone in room etc

I've only ever worked in male prisons but it's commonplace for cells to have phones in. Saves aggro from queuing on the wing to make calls. It also means that third parties like solicitors, probation workers, education staff can call in if need be. All calls will be recorded and listened to for anything dodgy.

Most cells will also have TV. If the prisoner has behaved poorly somehow their status might be downgraded to basic and the TV taken away for a bit.

Common room type set ups are found mainly in Cat D prisons although I have seen some communal kitchen areas in Cat Cs (came off a wing stinking of bacon the other day as that's what was being cooked).

Forgotmycoat · 30/10/2023 17:59

I do a role that requires me to go into a prison quite regularly so am interested to watch this

LakieLady · 30/10/2023 18:04

Can't comment on how realistic the prison scenes were, but I thought Sean Bean and Stephen Graham were both absolutely terrific.

LakeTiticaca · 30/10/2023 18:13

Without wishing to burst anyone's bubble, it's not real.
It's a TV drama

JenniferBooth · 30/10/2023 18:15

There was a documentary on TV over 20 years ago possibly 25 about women going to prison for not paying a TV licence.

MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 30/10/2023 18:22

LakeTiticaca · 30/10/2023 18:13

Without wishing to burst anyone's bubble, it's not real.
It's a TV drama

The original 'time' is very realistic

Not seen the new one as yet

BoothsChristmasBook · 30/10/2023 18:25

The first series was very close to reality. The second, not as much.

Janiie · 30/10/2023 18:27

'And surprised that a convicted murderer would be in that setting'

I'm guessing we'll find out it was manslaughter following post natal depression, psychosis or something, I doubt they would have murderers in such apparently low category accommodation.

Arbutusflower · 30/10/2023 18:30

Fireangels · 30/10/2023 17:15

Last night I was watching the new prison drama about three new inmates at a women’s prison. It left me wondering whether or not it was realistic regarding the single mother of three who was jailed for defrauding her electricity supplier.

Genuine questions:

She claimed she had done this as she was unable to afford to keep her children warm. Would she have qualified for help from her electric supplier with her bills? Would she be entitled to claim Universal Credit?

Would she even have been sent to prison? This seems to be an offence caused by poverty. Apart from the devastating effects on this woman, losing her job, home and having her children taken into care, surely it’s not cost effective to have three children fostered, and then have to pay benefits to the mother on her release- especially where she will struggle to find employment having served a custodial sentence.

Sorry if these questions appear insensitive, but I am genuinely curious about this.

There are people who deliberately bypass their meter to avoid payment. It's not all vulnerability.

Margoriglick · 30/10/2023 18:31

Worked in a female local remand prison for 14 years until very recently.
Here there were very large houses that up to 22 prisoners lived in, usually in shared rooms of up to 4.
These would typically have a common room, laundry, kitchen, dining room and a few bathrooms too.
The cells on the wings did have phones in the cells and tablets that they could order canteen and arrange visits on.

Margoriglick · 30/10/2023 18:33

Many murderers would be housed in such circumstances.
Their risk would be assessed and if deemed suitable that's where they would be located.

BoothsChristmasBook · 30/10/2023 18:34

"I doubt they would have murderers in such apparently low category accommodation."

The women's estate is simply open or closed. There are no other categories. The population is made up of all sorts of offenders.

ilovesooty · 30/10/2023 18:41

BoothsChristmasBook · 30/10/2023 18:34

"I doubt they would have murderers in such apparently low category accommodation."

The women's estate is simply open or closed. There are no other categories. The population is made up of all sorts of offenders.

There are only 3 female prisons in England currently housing restricted status prisoners.

Janiie · 30/10/2023 18:49

BoothsChristmasBook · 30/10/2023 18:34

"I doubt they would have murderers in such apparently low category accommodation."

The women's estate is simply open or closed. There are no other categories. The population is made up of all sorts of offenders.

Really? I had no idea. I presumed those convicted of serious crimes would be held in facilities like the first one they were in and less serious crimes in more flexible places. So murderers and electricity bill evaders are all housed side by side with common rooms etc?