Helen's plans for the lifers’ unit are progressing and she gathers her charges together to inform them that they will all be assigned cells on G3. Shell grumbles when she hears this—that’s the last thing she needs, Nikki as a next-door neighbour again. Shaz also greets the news reluctantly and begs to be allowed to stay in the four-bed dorm. Yet more feathers are ruffled when Helen escorts a new lifer onto the wing—the notorious ‘Podger’ Pam Jolly! Even Helen begins to fear that she may have bitten off more than she can chew when she experiences Pam’s erratic behaviour and religious fanaticism and makes a point of asking Nikki to take the new inmate under her wing. Nikki is worried that Helen is off on another one of her suicidal campaigns, but feels she can’t turn her down.

The Julies are throwing the kitchen rubbish away when they discover a cat hiding in one of the bins. They christen the cat ‘Tinker’ and smuggle him back to their cell. But what are they going to do when Tinker needs the toilet? Enter Nikki who is persuaded to house Tinker in the potting-shed. Unfortunately, Tinker is carrying fleas and it’s not long before Nikki and the Julies are covered in bites. The Julies have to resort to giving hand-jobs to Shell’s new ‘Mr Fix-it’ in exchange for him smuggling them flea-powder.

Shell sets about making Pam’s life a misery. She humiliates her in front of the other inmates and then sets fire to Nikki’s cell, positive that Pam will get the blame. She’s right, and soon everyone is putting pressure on Helen to transfer Pam out, including Nikki who is devastated by the loss of her precious copy of ‘Sophie’s World’. Down in the potting-shed, Tinker is missing and Shell is quick to pin the blame on Pam—she’s sure she heard a cat meowing in her cell. When the Julies and their posse challenge Pam, she just smiles up at them, so both she and her cell are smashed up.

Gina has noticed that Di has the rampant hots for Josh and doesn’t waste an opportunity to wind her up about it. Di meanwhile has heard a rumour that Josh is involved with ex-inmate, Crystal Gordon. In an attempt to drive a wedge between them, she tells Josh that she and Dominic were convinced that Crystal stole Hollamby’s anniversary present. Later, Josh seeks out a fully recovered Denny and questions her about the theft. She assures him that she knows the person responsible for the theft and it definitely wasn’t Crystal.

Fenner isn’t having a happy time of it. When Pam’s not giving him the evil eye, Shell’s sneaking up on him every time his back is turned. Although she’s concerned for Fenner, Karen is more worried about the Pam situation and demands that Helen take action. Helen suspects that Pam’s mental state has been horribly misdiagnosed and calls in a psychiatrist to set the record straight. The psychiatrist, Thomas Waugh, confirms that Pam is suffering from a condition that can be treated with counselling and anti-psychotic drugs. As far as Helen is concerned, this is just another example of Dr Nicholson’s incompetence. Karen agrees and together, they convince Stubberfield to sack him.

Nikki realises that she was wrong about Pam and decides to make amends by asking her if she would like to help out in the garden. The Julies also thaw towards Pam when she and Nikki find Tinker in the potting-shed, having just given birth to a litter of kittens. Helen arranges for Tinker, now renamed ‘Tinkerbell’, and family to be collected by Monica Lindsey. Helen also gives Nikki a new copy of ‘Sophie’s World’, complete with an inscription—“Until we meet on the outside”.

Fenner remains nervous when he is anywhere near Shell and when she unfurls a bloody sheet in his face, it’s the final straw. The person he blames for all of this is Helen Stewart, and he gains his revenge by sexually assaulting her in the PO’s office. A few miles away, another sexual predator lurks outside Josh and Crystal’s house—Di.