A near endless line of exciting events and characters pass by during the run of Prisoner. Maybe the best way to start is to mention Meg Jackson-Morris, who is the only character to take part through all the series, from the first episode to the last. Meg is a sympathetic and correct prison warder, who in spite of many personal tragedies during the series, never loses control. Thanks to her rather low profile and non-changing character, she becomes a rock for the viewers to lean on when everything else goes through changes. When the series begins, she is married to Bill Jackson, who is a social worker also employed at Wentworth. They have a son, Marty Jackson. (Her new surname, Morris, is given to Meg by a re-marriage later on in the series.)
Governor of Wentworth is the liberal but rather impulsive Erica Davidson. Among the uniformed officers the post as Deputy Governor is very attractive. At the beginning of the series Vera Bennett has this job. She is regarded as a nasty warder and doesn't seem to have any real life outside the prison, so her only moments of joy come when she can harass the prisoners. Erica, Vera and Meg are at focus to the viewers on the side of the prison staff in the beginning. Other employees are prison doctor Greg Miller and electrician Eddie Cook.
Among the prisoners at H Block, tough top dog Bea Smith rules. The top dog is the women's leader. There are no exact rules how a top dog is chosen, but to gather as much muscles and brains seems to be a good idea. The top dog has much power, but is on the other hand constantly objected to threats and opposition from both rivals and officers. Two rules are strictly followed, you never lag on a fellow prisoner and you never hurt a child. Bea has been imprisoned for 10 years after killing her husband's mistress. She is one of the most fascinating and popular characters to Prisoner fans.
In the first episode, viewers are introduced to the tough prison world through the eyes of two new prisoners just arriving, Karen Travers and Lynn Warner, who never have been in prison before. Karen has been sentenced for murdering her husband and Lynn for kidnapping a child, but we are early hinted that they have not been correctly treated by the legal system. Karen and Lynn are introduced to the other prisoners at H Block. Lynn is welcomed by Bea burning her hand in the laundry steam press, the symbol of top dog power. Among the other prisoners we notice the elderly Lizzie Birdsworth and the younger Doreen Anderson. Bea's biggest rival is Franky Doyle. Some other prisoners we follow in the beginning are Jeanette "Mum" Brooks and Marilyn Mason. In the first episode we also see the depressed prisoner Sally Lee, who commits suicide by hanging herself in the cell.
The initiating episodes are very full of events, because the series at first was thought to be rather short. After the introduction of the hard environment, the prisoners and the staff in the first episode, it continues rapidly in the following. Bea is released and Franky takes over as top dog. Bea visits her daughter's grave, gets a gun from her friend Val Richardson and shoots her husband to death. Back at Wentworth she retakes power from Franky, who starts a riot, during which Bill Jackson is stabbed to death by prisoner Chrissie Latham. After this, the devastated Meg becomes hard on the prisoners for a short while but soon returns to her normal attitude. Chrissie is transferred to another prison.
Marilyn and Eddie start a relation, which continues after she is released. Mum is also released, but has difficulties adjusting to freedom and is returned to Wentworth after shop-lifting. Officer Anne Yates is suspended after accusations about drug smuggling. Greg finds out that Lynn is pregnant after a rape. Vera's mother dies. The first celebrity prisoner, Helen Masters, is on remand at Wentworth after a hit and run accident, which is handled by Inspector Grace, the first of his many Wentworth related cases. Lynn is freed from all suspicions and released. She starts a relation with ex-prisoner Doug Parker and they are married. Franky's brother, Gary Doyle, is killed in a tractor accident. Karen rejects Franky's sexual invitations. Franky and Doreen escape.
Lynn and Doug crash with the car after an unsuccessful robbery and Doug dies. Lynn loses her expected baby and she is returned to Wentworth. The new prison social worker, Jean Vernon, arrives. Lawyer Steve Wilson becomes involved in several Wentworth related cases. He and Greg become rivals for Karen. Monica Ferguson arrives as prisoner. Marilyn, who is released for a second time, and Eddie, who has been sacked, take care of Monica's shop. Mum is released again. Erica's niece, Barbara Davidson, serves time at Wentworth for possession of drugs. Catherine Roberts kills the man who raped her daughter and she is sentenced to Wentworth. In episode 20 the escaped Franky is shot to death by the police. Rumour says that from the beginning, this event was thought to have concluded the whole series.