Holloway (12A) |Close-Up Film Review

When I visited Holloway prison many years ago, I was impressed by the facilities and the way that women seem to be busy working or learning.

There was a lovely nursery with a great sound and light area for little ones. However, this is not the prison that the women in this documentary know.

What was once the largest women’s prison in Europe no longer exists.  Before it was demolished 6 women return to take part in a women’s circle with support from Lorraine Maher, the facilitator, a workshop practitioner in the criminal justice sector. Contributors were supported throughout by psychotherapist Maria Takaendisa and caseworker Sarah McLaughlin, and the crew received trauma-informed training.

Over five days the six women come together in workshops to reflect on their time in Holloway prison. They visit their former cells Beginning tentatively, they gradually open up in group discussions and show their vulnerability. For some of them what happened in their childhood has contributed to their lifestyle later on.

As a magistrate, I dealt with women who suffered from domestic abuse, violence in their homes as children and an alcoholic parent; often ending up in Care Homes. The women in this film have suffered similarly. They tell each other about their past and what led them to commit crimes.

At the end of the film, we learn that the women now have successful lives and it’s good to see that the workshops and support from each other have helped them along their way.  The six women were part of the putting together of the narrative and editing

It’s a fascinating documentary that explores not just the effects of prison, but the society around them which has contributed to how they ended up as inmates in Holloway prison.