Prison Chaplain Marie-Louise comes to the YOI having lost her faith. When tragedy strikes within the prison, Marie-Louise clashes with veteran officer Bailey, a man in the midst of his own crisis. Bailey knows more about the circumstances that led to this major incident β but will he come clean before the guilt gets too much? Meanwhile, two teenage young offenders, Peter and James, struggle through the terrifying first weeks and months of their incarceration. Can James ever face his broken parents after an unforgivable act of violence and will Peter tell the truth about the death of an innocent man, or does family loyalty mean more? An unlikely friendship between them looks to shift the trajectory of their futures, but in an increasingly unstable environment, is change ever possible?

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.