Episode 1 - Arrival

Shell Dockley's dramatic capture in Amsterdam and swift return to Larkhall got the new series off to good start. It is just as well that the scriptwriters managed to find a way round the normal extradition procedures or we would have had to wait until at least series 6 to see Shell back in the UK. Not only did her return by-pass the usual court procedures, but she was brought back in a diplomat's car - highly irregular!

When she arrived at Larkhall, Shell was wearing a ferocious-looking gag and handcuffs. Gags are not used by the Prison Service, nor by prisoner transport services even for someone as mouthy as Shell. They would be an inhumane way of restraining someone, probably not very useful (it doesn't really matter if a prisoner makes a lot of noise because none of this is being done secretly), and potentially dangerous for the prisoner.

Prisoners can be handcuffed while they are being transported if they have a record of violence or if they might escape, and Shell is a high risk on both counts. They are usually handcuffed to a member of staff rather than having their hands cuffed behind their backs.

On arrival at the prison Shell seems to have managed to avoid being searched - so she was able to take off her brown wig to reveal her trademark long blonde hair, and also retrieve the razor blade she had hidden in the wig.

In reality every prisoner arriving at the prison goes through the reception procedure. If it is so late at night that there are no staff left to do this, then the prisoner may be held in police cells until the next day when the prison reception is open again.

When a prisoner arrives at the prison she is usually held in a holding room in the reception waiting for her turn. She is then seen by prison staff who check that they have the right person and that the information they have received from the court (about sentence or remand in custody) is correct. They take any personal possessions the prisoner is not allowed to keep with her, list them on the property record (which the prisoner signs) and put them into storage. All prisoners are strip searched at reception, so the wig would certainly have been noticed and would have ended up in Shell's stored property.

Prisoners are then seen by the doctor who will find out if they have any major health problems needing immediate attention. Drug users entering prison may be feeling very rough by this stage and need referral to the prison detox where they can get medication to bring them off their drugs a little more gently. The doctor will also try to find out whether the prisoner is likely harm herself.

Prisoners are then given their bedding and taken to the cell or room where they will spend their first few days. This is often in an induction unit where they cane be told a bit more about life in prison and where any particular needs they may have can be assessed.

Women coming into prison for the first time often find the experience very distressing. They may have unresolved problems to deal with outside - child care arrangements made on the assumption that they would be back by tea time, problems with their housing and many others. At Holloway the charity PACT (Prisons Advice and Care Trust) runs a 'First Night in Holloway' scheme where every new prisoner is seen by one of the scheme's staff or volunteers in the prison reception area. They can help sort out any immediate problems, deal with the trauma of entering the prison and refer the women on to other organisations which can offer longer-term help. More information can be found on PACT's website.