Correlli

As the new prison psychologist, Louisa Correlli must find a way to help a prison officer come to terms with the break-up of his marriage and the death of his friend. Through all this, a newly-arrived prisoner, Kevin Jones, who appears to be suffering from brain damage, arouses her interest. Her expertise is tested to its limits, and Louisa begins to believe that Jones' condition may be a scam.

Louisa discovers the truth about Jones, but before she exposes him, she must establish why he chose the path of deceit. Concurrently, Louisa is drawn into the fantastic world of a prisoner, Alfredo, and his pain when Jean, his long-time visitor, dies in a car crash.

Louisa is confronted by the parallels of life and work when a prisoner, Brett Hodges, little older than her son, Anthony, arrives at the prison. Hodges' attitude problem and naiveté make him vulnerable to the drug network. Thwarted in her attempts to help him, Louisa is alerted by Sister Pat to the realities of prison life, and this impacts on Louisa's personal life.

Officer Helen Buckley joins Blackstream Prison staff, and is unwittingly seduced by Specs Redman, a prisoner who has his own hidden agenda. After Redman lands in hospital, Buckley realises she has been taken for a ride, and must make a split-second decision. Meanwhile, Louisa's progress with Jones is interrupted when he attempts to take control of the relationship.

After Redman's shooting, Buckley must regain her position of power in the face of isolation among her peers and the scorn of the prisoners. Meanwhile, Louisa's progress with Hodges is halted when a planned visit from his estranged sister is thwarted by industrial action, resulting in a lock-down of the prison. Jones's initial dislike of Hodges is changed by Hodges' emotional struggle.

Louisa encourages three Aboriginals to form a band to keep them out of trouble. She tries to transfer a self-mutilator to a psychiatric facility, but unable to do so takes solace in her relationship with one of the Aboriginals. However, just as it is developing well, things go terribly wrong. Jones assaults Sam in a counselling session, and as a result, Louisa has to face some hard decisions.

Terri and Kim anxiously await the outcome of the court cases of their respective partners, Gazza and Rod, and make a pact to leave them if the sentence exceeds five years. Meanwhile, Louisa must confront her own problems when Sam admits he is still attracted to her. Some soul-searching only complicates her, but she takes some heart when she realises that her efforts with Jones are working.

Louisa faces a personal and professional crisis when she has to negotiate a meeting with Haines, a psychopathic sadist, and the parents of one of his victims. Louisa's fears lead her to contact Haines' unwitting partner, Norma, in an attempt to unlock the parents' pain.

Sister Pat is emotional when Margaret, her support of many years, decides to leave the order. Hodges leaves Blackstream and rejects Jones' support. Pat's reluctance to accept an attempted murderer's fundamentalism, and her inability to convince him to accept reality when his parole is rejected, lead to strong repercussions in the prison including Jones' revelation of an innermost secret to Louisa.

The prison is riddled with drugs and a cloud of suspicion hangs over some of the officers. Sister Pat struggles with Harry, an old-timer carrying a fatal secret. Against a backdrop of rumours and gossip, Louisa must confront her relationship with Jones. At home she is faced with a family that is growing without her and she is caught between her devotion to her work, and her love of family.