Time

Three women are pulled into each other's orbit when they arrive at Carlingford prison on the same day. Whilst single mother Orla fights to keep her children out of care and desperately tries to wrest her life back on track, young heroin addict Kelsey is presented with a life-defining decision. Meanwhile, tough lifer Abi is haunted by a sinister secret that attracts unwanted attention from fellow inmates, putting her safety at risk.

After six months on the outside, Orla finds herself back in Carlingford. Desperate to maintain contact with her kids, she's willing to risk extreme action. Meanwhile, Abi contemplates revenge, close to breaking point, whilst Marie-Louise encourages her to open up about her past. Reluctant to trust the other inmates, Abi steps up to help when crisis strikes. And Kelsey sets her sights on transferring to the mother and baby unit, making plans for her future in the face of uncertainty, as her due date draws closer.

Orla faces the consequences of her actions and suffers a personal loss whilst still struggling to reconcile with Kyle. With the support of Kelsey and Marie-Louise, Abi finally starts reckoning with her unresolved grief, and risks the judgement of fellow inmates. After a rash decision, Kelsey's newfound plans are derailed. Can she find the conviction to break away from the influences of her past and find a new way forward?

New chaplain Marie-Louise arrives at the young offender institution HMYOI Alderwick and finds herself immediately at odds with traditionalist and world-weary custodial manager Bailey, who is dealing with his own personal crisis. They lock horns over how to handle Christopher, a young man with a stammer who has recently reconnected with his birth mother.

Meanwhile, Peter and his friends arrive at the prison after being involved in an attack on a man, and James is relocated from another prison.

Officer Bailey faces a moral crossroads after tragedy strikes HMYOI Alderwick, whilst Marie-Louise and the governor deliver some news to family on the outside.

James, consumed by shame, learns a truth and debates facing family he has been avoiding.

Peter's guilt inside grows, and he forms an unlikely connection. Pressure hits a critical high at the prison as officers and prisoners alike struggle to cope.

As life-changing decisions loom for staff and inmates at HMYOI Alderwick, relationships are tested. The possibility of romance and an opportunity at work make Bailey question his choices, and he turns to Marie-Louise in a moment of need. She receives the sign she's been waiting for but debates whether she's able to take a risk.

Meanwhile, new evidence complicates loyalties between Peter and his friends, driving tensions higher, and James confronts his fears, making a defining choice.