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Sponsored by the Central Office of Information and the Home Office, this was
the longest, and most sombre of John Krish's many official information films. In this case, the
purpose was to encourage recruitment to the prison service, and the format of
the film is a visit by three new recruits to a prison and a borstal. But in
order to engage its audience, Krish's film widens its thematic focus,
using the three men's encounters with prisoners and staff to prompt deeper
questions raised by crime and punishment - questions to which it refuses to
provide a direct answer.
A key sequence is the one in which the men meet a prison chaplain, who discusses
his feelings about his work, which has clearly affected him deeply. This
conversation is captured at far greater length than textbook documentary
technique would allow, but for those willing to give it their full attention, it
is a gripping moment.
Patrick Russell
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1. A holiday camp? (1:54)
