A FOUR-part TV documentary that explores the world of those locked-up will feature an Oxfordshire jail.

'Inside Prison: Britain Behind Bars', which premiers today on ITV, will go inside the walls of six prisons in the UK including HMP Bullingdon near Bicester, to offer a ‘sharp insight’ into the ‘harsh realities’ of life for thousands of inmates and staff.

The documentary, which is produced by Chalkboard for ITV, will provide an ‘all-access’ exploration of what life on the inside is like for everyone in jail, such as trainee and veteran prison officers, support staff and the prisoners themselves.

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The challenges that staff from all different backgrounds face by increased levels of violence in UK jails will also be examined, as well as how they maintain relationships with prisoners from young offenders to vulnerable women.

Prison officers who are currently joining the service are leading rehabilitation schemes aimed at helping to turn prisoners’ lives around to stop them reoffending and viewers will have the opportunity to see how it is going so far.

Oxford Mail:

Viewers will also get insight into Britain’s largest prison officer training college.

The first episode will see cameras inside HMP Downtime where 32-year-old repeat offender Gemma is serving five years for burglary.

In the episode, she threatens a fellow prisoner with an iron, before being caught trying to climb a prison fence. Later, she smashes a cell window because she loses access to her vape stick.

Viewers will also be introduced to former barman and project researcher, Jon Aldridge, who is starting his first shift at HMP Bullingdon after a 10-week course at training college.

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Before starting his first shift he says: “A little bit nerve-wracking. College seems quite a way removed from here, looking forward to taking the training wheels off.

"Basically, like passing your test, taking the L-plates off and putting the little green ‘P’s on.”

When a high-risk prisoner seriously harms himself on the wing, Jon is the first officer on scene, before his colleague Anthony, who is one of the most respected men at the prison, steps in to help calm the situation.

Anthony says: “That new officer’s probably never seen someone cut themselves up before. It takes getting used to.”

HMP Bullingdon, which opened in 1994 near MoD Bicester, is a local and resettlement prison and accepts Security Category B and C male prisoners.

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It generally only holds prisoners on short sentences and those on remand.

The hour-long programme starts at 9pm tonight on ITV 1 and runs for four weeks.