When you watch the acclaimed TV drama Time, remember this: I've seen inside our prisons and they are just as bleak | Alex South

Alex South, a former prison officer and author of the memoir “Behind These Doors,” says the new BBC drama “Time” is difficult to watch because it underlines how close prisons are to everyday life. He describes the show’s opening—where a normal bus passes a road shadowed by concrete walls, barbed wire, and CCTV—as a reminder that prisons sit at the edges of public imagination while still shaping lives nearby. South points to themes in the series such as an anger-filled young offenders institution, including a regime built around “keep-aparts,” where groups of prisoners are separated to manage gang and “postcode” conflicts. He links the system’s limitations to policy, noting the Sentencing Act 2026 would allow determinate-sentence prisoners to be released after one-third of their time, though exemptions apply for serious crimes. South argues that time alone doesn’t reduce anger without training or education, and highlights concerns about isolated, idle custody.