Season 1 2014

Holloway: the largest women's prison in Europe, infamous for its harsh conditions and notorious inmates, many of whom have committed some of the most horrific crimes in Britain. Brutal serial killers Myra Hindley and Rosemary West; Maxine Carr, partner of Soham murderer Ian Huntley; Tracey Connelly, mother of Baby P - they've all been inside Holloway. But scratch beneath the surface, and deeper stories emerge. Behind its closed doors, Holloway has been witness to some of the most important and iconic moments in our history. The Suffragette movement, the creation of the Republic of Ireland, the British Fascist movement in the wake of WW2, and the abolition of the death penalty all have an intimate connection with the prison. Travelling through the layers of time across its 162 years, this series gives viewers a unique perspective of British history, through diverse case studies of the criminal women who have served time in Holloway. These cases let us explore key questions. How have our attitudes to prisoners - and women - changed in that time? Can we identify a particular pattern of crimes committed by women rather than men? And is it time for Holloway to close its doors forever, to make way for a radical new era in the treatment of female offenders?