15 October 2026

We have been watching ‘Time’ on the BBC. It is set in a young offenders institution  and features David Tennant as one of the prison officers and Siobhan Finneran as the chaplain. Both of them are exceptional actors playing flawed but very real characters.

There are three episodes in this series. Whilst there are welcome incidents of compassion, forgiveness and redemption, the overall impression is one of brutality and inhumanity. The young offenders appear to be feral and, as such, are treated like wild animals and, in the words of the show, banged up.

As the show unfolded, we kept on asking whether this was a true reflection of what happened in young offenders institutions. Two things were horrifying. Firstly, the amount of violent behaviour which the young offenders displayed towards each other.

Secondly, the number of hours the young offenders had to stay inside their very small cells. There was reference to a former day when the boys would have access to chapel, the library, sporting  facilities etc. Now there was little time for activities outside their cells. This is inhumane.

The screenwriter, Jimmy McGovern, has written a brilliant script and tells a powerful story. In interview he said that he had visited several young offenders institutions and what he wrote reflects what he saw. He implied that banging the offenders up made life easier for the officers and described some of them as lazy.

This has not gone down well with the prison staff. But a lack of staff and resources is playing havoc with this system and the ultimate aim of rehabilitation has no chance of being fulfilled. McGovern is to be commended for raising this hidden social issue.  It is the chaplain who imbues the show with humanity and common sense.