TV Pick of the Week: Prisoner - review by Yvette Huddleston

The weariness with which the staff approach the training exercise is understandable. Their challenging work is made much harder by a lack of funding, poor conditions and understaffing. As a result of these factors a handful of powerful criminals and their heavies effectively run certain sections of the prison, including arranging for regular deliveries of drugs for the inmates.

In the first episode we meet keen new recruit Sammi (Youssef Wayne Hvidtfeldt) who wants to “make a difference” – his jaded veteran colleagues Henrik (David Dencik) and prison governor Gert (Charlotte Fich) react to this with wry smiles and almost-pity in their eyes. We also meet dependable Miriam (Sofie Gråbøl) who takes Sammi under her wing.

The prison is a tinderbox as it is, then comes the news that the government is planning to build a brand-new prison and in order to fund the project, will be closing one of three other major prisons. Gert tells her staff off the record that their prison is on the list and under threat of closure if they don’t improve their record in terms of cracking down on drug use and violence. They are obliged to increase their unannounced searches of cells, to find drugs, weapons and phones.

Gert knows that this zero-tolerance policy is a simplistic approach and that it will increase the probability of violence against her staff and between rival gangs. Needless to say, those on the frontline are not listened to, especially where political capital is to be gained in an election year. Inspectors arrive to observe daily operations and to interview staff.

Alongside this extra difficulty at work, the individual team members are all dealing with tough personal issues – Miriam’s estranged former addict son contacts her for urgent financial help, Gert’s husband is in the early stages of dementia, Henrick’s marriage is under strain for many reasons and Sammi discovers that one of the inmates is a childhood friend with whom he has a complex relationship that’s about to get more complicated. Not an easy watch, but totally compelling and the performances from all involved are outstanding.