PICK DAY
Troi kicks off in violence-plagued Durham prison “It’s just one of them days,” says the prisoner at HMP Durham, in the latest instalment of this no-holds-barred documentary. Elsewhere, another huge and intimidating inmate stands over a washing machine explaining how best to get blood off white trainers and leave “a good smell”. He says he’s used to dealing with blood and faeces stains. Filmed over seven months, this show gives us unprecedented access to life behind bars – and it’s not pretty. This episode focuses on what it takes to break the vicious cycle of violence between prisoners and against the staff. With fights breaking out on the wing all the time, it seems an endless struggle. In one scene, riot police are called in to help “ghost” a violent inmate away to another prison because he holds a grudge against Durham officers. Meanwhile, cameras focus on Troi Brown, a violent offender with convictions for kidnapping and possession of a firearm, who has arrived from Nottingham prison. A troublemaker in jail, he’s spent nine of the last 10 years inside and has been moved 27 times. He kicks off pretty soon when he can’t get a hot cup of tea. But later on, as Troi takes part in some rehabilitation sessions, including hearing from ex-con and prison mentor Gary Crooks, something shifts. Will it be enough to change him? Gripping, heartbreaking, bleak and shocking, this is a timely look at life behind bars in Britain.