Judy and Mouse manage to get out into freedom. They separate and Mouse is soon arrested and returned to Wentworth. She shows the way to the blocked tunnel and Bea, Lizzie and Doreen can be saved. Judy gets to know Wally Wallace and stays with him and his daughter Mikki Wallace. Chrissie is deprived of her daughter after one year and she is also transferred to another block. Anne is moved to mental hospital. Both prisoners and staff react to Gillespie's harsh methods and he is dismissed. Lizzie has a heart attack, but survives. Colleen's neighbour, Sid Humphrey, starts working part time as Wentworth's handyman. The police discover Judy's hideout, she gets away but Wally is arrested.
Teacher David Andrews arrives at Wentworth. Judy hides with Helen Smart. She tracks down Jock Stewart and tries to stab him, but he overpowers her. He begins to blackmail her, but she gives him in to police and they are both arrested. Doreen and Vera both become fond of David. Sid, who has befriended Lizzie, gets a stroke, but survives. Short time prisoner Sandra Hamilton proves to be a journalist out for a prison story. Three new prisoners arrive: Georgie Baxter, Jenny Armstrong and Evelyn Randall. Georgie behaves very strange and violent. Several prisoners get mysteriously sick, it is suspected that Jenny brought a contagious disease after travelling abroad, but it is later revealed that Evelyn poisoned the diseased. She gets harassed by the other prisoners and is transferred to Barnhurst. It is revealed that Georgie's problems are caused by an ear malfunction, which is corrected by surgery.
Margo is released and aims at following the narrow road. The mood among prisoners becomes irritated. Two gangs are formed, one with among others Bea, Lizzie and Georgie, the other with Judy, Doreen, Mouse and Hazel. The conflict culminates with a big fight in the dining room. Thereafter it is cooled down. Margo has problems adjusting to a normal life and takes part in a robbery, which developes into a hostage drama. She is arrested and brought back to Wentworth. A new officer, Sally Dean, begins work at Wentworth and tries to prove her capability in an over-ambitious way. The women protest against Georgie's postponed release and David comes into disgrace with them. Margo attacks Georgie and is transferred. Georgie is released and Sally quits as prison officer. Lizzie escapes for a day in freedom and returns voluntarily.
Chrissie is once again moved to H Block. Bob doesn't think prison warder is an appropriate work for Meg. A conjugal suite is arranged at the prison and it causes lots of argument who can use it. Meg quits as prison officer and gets a job as social worker instead. Her first case is to help her former arch-enemy, the now released Chrissie, to get custody of her daughter, something which finally succeeds. David arranges an educational project for Bea, but Colleen who is Union representative objects to this and has it stopped. Bea makes the women strike in protest. Colleen forces David to resign. The strike then escalates and goes into sabotage activities. The Department intervenes, Erica is suspended, Jim becomes Acting Governor and Bea is transferred to Barnhurst. This leads to a hunger strike and a riot. It cools down after the Department partly backs down and reinstates Erica, but Bea remains at Barnhurst.
Bea shares cell with a familiar prisoner, Tracey Morris, and she meets tough top dog Marie Winter. Marie forces Tracey to drug Bea with magic mushrooms. In retaliation Bea tries to kill Marie. It is decided to have Bea transferred back to Wentworth. On the way back, the prison van crashes and Bea can escape, but she has lost memory in the crash. Anyhow she finds Mum Brooks and seeks refuge with her. In the meantime, Margo, back at H Block, has taken over the position as top dog and run a harsh rule. A new officer, Terry Harrison, starts working at Wentworth. Police track Bea down and take both her and Mum to Wentworth. Margo tries to defend her position against the confused Bra. Vera and Terry start a romance. Bea regains her memory and overthrows Margo. Mum is released. Meg fails in readjusting youth criminal Nick Clarke. Margo tries to get back at the women by blackmailing Terry, this fails and she is also knocked down by Doreen.
New prisoner Michelle Parkes, an athletics star with olympic ambitions, arrives at Wentworth. Judy is visited by her adopted-away daughter, Lori Young, who soon afterwards is imprisoned after shop-lifting in an attempt to get to know her biological mother. Michelle tricks Jim into finding a false witness, who gives her an alibi and she is released. Two new prisoners arrive, Kathy Hall and Dinah Walford. It is revealed that Kathy has been married to Terry. She feels threatened and is attacked by Dinah. Lori is released, so is Dinah, but Kathy still feels threatened. Another new prisoner, Alison Page, arrives. She can't stand prison life and tries to commit suicide but is saved by Bea and Jim. Sid, who has recovered, proposes to Lizzie and she accepts. Sid's son, Gordon Humphrey, objects to the marriage. However, soon afterwards Sid has a heart attack and dies.
Terry proposes to Vera and she accepts. The gang which threaten Kathy try to put pressure at Terry. Vera is taken hostage, but she is freed by Jim and Terry. Vera breaks up the relation with Terry, since she is upset over his commitment to Kathy. Alison is allowed to work in the prison reception. Her husband is hospitalized after an accident and Myra Desmond from the Prison Reform Group takes care of their children. Kathy is released, but is immediately murdered outside the prison gates. The gang that killed her continue to put pressure on Terry. When he tells the police, he is also murdered. Vera is appointed Governor of Barnhurst and becomes the most important character so far to leave the series.