This is a list of characters in the Australian television series Prisoner, that includes the "prison staff", the series was produced by (the) Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten from 1979 until 1986 and was known internationally as Prisoner: Cell Block H in the United States and Britain, and Caged Women in Canada. Listed in order of appearance:
Characters Erica Davidson (née Marne) (Patsy King – episodes 1–360), the prison's governor. Davidson was a former barrister (her father and brother were both judges) with political connections and notable events during her Governorship were the arrival of her niece on drug charges, her doomed romance with corrupt businessman Andrew Reynolds, and her kidnapping at the request of inmate Andrea Hennessey. A few months after her resignation she returned – working for the department itself – and was highly instrumental in investigating and eventually stopping the first cold regime of temporary governor, Joan Ferguson. In episode 491, we hear Erica has resigned from the department to pursue a career in Canberra. Vera Bennett – "Vinegar Tits" (Fiona Spence – episodes 1–224), First seen chasing after Sally Lee down the corridor with Meg Jackson. The acid-tongued senior prison officer aged and embittered beyond her years by caring for her demanding invalid mother. She believed that Erica's and Meg's progressive methods were wrong, and that the prisoners needed discipline and authority. Her stern attitude earned her the nickname "Vinegar Tits". Despite their differences, Vera counted Meg as perhaps her only friend. Although she was rude and harsh, she was not cold like her successor Joan Ferguson. She left after a failed romance with officer Terry Harrison to become Governor of Barnhurst prison, and she was referred to in later years – it is clear that she made an excellent job as Governor of Barnhurst, as she still holds this position in the final year of the series. (She is mentioned after The Fire and Riot at Barnhurst, which marks the end of an era; Bea Smith's death.) Meg Jackson (née Coppin, Morris) (Elspeth Ballantyne – episodes 1–692), born as Margaret Coppin, is one of the prison's senior officers. Born in a prison herself, Jackson was often sympathetic to inmate needs, hoping to rehabilitate the prisoners, though she was no pushover. Despite their vast differences in prison ideology, she and Vera Bennett were friends. The departures of inmates Bea Smith in September 1983 and Lizzie Birdsworth in February 1984 left Meg as the show's only remaining original cast member. Meg continued until the end of the series, making her the only original character to last the entire run. Meg had a heated rivalry with cold guard Joan "The Freak" Ferguson, which stemmed from Meg's stint in Wentworth as a prisoner: Meg's brief stint inside for contempt of court had confirmed her suspicions about The Freak's coldness. Meg had many failed romances. Meg was also friendly with fellow guards Colleen Powell, Joyce Barry and Dennis Cruickshank – to whom she became engaged. With exceptions, Meg became deputy governor after Colleen left Wentworth until the end of the series, having originally turned down the post when offered in order to save her marriage. In the final season, Meg was joined by her son, Officer Marty Jackson, who shared his mother's compassion towards the prisoners. Meg also enjoyed a close relationship with aged inmate, Ettie Parslow (Lois Ramsay) after it was discovered that the old dear had nursed her when she was a prison baby. Meg's first husband was killed by Chrissie Latham in a riot and she later married and divorced Bob Morris, the father of an inmate. And Meg was also a prisoner herself in Episode 309. In Episode 522, when it is revealed that prisoner Ettie Parslow nursed Meg as a baby at Barnhurst where Meg was born, Meg's birth name is revealed to be Margaret Coppin. Dr. Greg Miller (Barry Quin – episodes 1–110), handsome young prison doctor who had had a relationship with inmate Karen Travers years before she was imprisoned at Wentworth, and finds himself reunited with her when she arrives as a new prisoner in the first episode. During Karen's two-year sentence (less than one year screen time!), the pair become closer, and more distant, at various points. He goes on to have a brief romantic relationship with Meg Jackson, until they eventually agree to just remain close friends. Although his patience is sometimes tested by the prisoners' various escapades (especially by Lizzie often using her heart complaint to steal surgical alcohol or similar such capers), Greg is popular with the prisoners, many of whom treat him as a confidant. Later in the 1979 season, Greg leaves Wentworth to open up his own practice, but with no doctor serving Wentworth and the women near rioting point as a result, he agrees to return there to work on a part-time basis (though, storyline-wise, seems to spend all of his time there and very little at his surgery). When Karen is released near the end of the 1979 season, and ends up running the Halfway House for ex-prisoners, the pair rekindle their romantic relationship, and Greg finally asks Karen to marry him. However, Pat O'Connell's escaped convict son David mistakenly blames Greg for tipping the police off about him going to visit his mother, and plans to shoot Greg; but mistakenly shoots Karen instead. With Karen narrowly escaping death, the pair plan to leave for Queensland, for Karen to recover and Greg to open a new practice there. Greg's last regular appearance comes in episode 86 when he leaves his job at Wentworth; he returns briefly in episodes 107–110 to give evidence at Pat's appeal, during which we hear that Karen and himself have finally married. Anne Yates (Kirsty Child – episodes 1-29), a cold officer who does favours for the prisoners in exchange for cash. Is forced to resign after being caught selling contraceptives to Marilyn Mason. A while later, she strikes up a friendship with a lonely Vera on the outside, after a (supposedly) chance meeting in a bar. She subsequently introduces Vera to George Lucas, who turns out to be an underworld kingpin, and whom Vera becomes romantically involved with. When Vera finds that Anne is involved with illegal activities, she breaks off contact, but finds it hard to leave Lucas. When Anne is admitted to Wentworth as a prisoner in on drug charges, she tries to use her influence over Vera to ensure an easy stay. Despised by the other prisoners, both due to her being a former officer, and especially by Bea, who hates drug pushers, she hides from them in a laundry dryer, and dies of suffocation after Vera slams the door shut not realising Yates was hiding inside. Vera later realises that she was the cause of Yates's suffocation, but keeps it to herself. Yates is the officer that can be seen in the end credits sequence doing lock up in the first three episodes. Bill Jackson (Don Barker – episodes 2–4), Social Worker who was married to Officer Meg Jackson. Chrissie Latham stabs him with a pair of scissors that only electrician Eddie Cook saw. the women forced him to tell him and it is much to Meg's disgust when the woman use scissors for Chrissie to confess. a few episodes later Franky mentions his death and Doreen replies "oh that wasn't nice. Mr Jackson was a nice man" which proves like his wife he wasn't a push over Jean Vernon (Christine Amor – episodes 14–56), a young, idealistic social worker appointed welfare officer at Wentworth. Although well-meaning, she often lets her trust in prisoners get the better of her, putting her in several awkward situations. Notable for driving a white Volkswagen Beetle. The character arrives in episode 14, and gets off to a bad start with Meg, as Jean is effectively taking the place of Meg's murdered husband Bill. However, the pair soon strike up a better relationship, and by episode 20 Jean has moved in with Meg. Jean disappears around episode 33, with mention of how she has taken another position elsewhere; however, the character suddenly reappears in episode 47, working back at Wentworth will no explanation given. During this second stint, Jean (moving back in with Meg) convinces Meg to let Nolene Burke's wayward daughter Leanne move in with them, to try and set her on the straight and narrow; despite Leanne's troublesome behaviour, Jean continually convinces Meg to give her "one more chance". When Leanne is finally arrested for being part of a hold up in episode 56, Jean is then seen moving out of Meg's apartment once again and is gone from the series for good. She's mentioned again in Episode 85 when new social worker Paul Reid comes in to replace her. She's brought up again in Episode 120 when Leanne Burke arrives at Wentworth with a charge of petty larceny and in Episode 124 during a discussion between Paul Reid and Nolene Burke who discuss charity offered to Nolene's mother she refuses to take. When Paul Reid explains to Nolene that he's only trying to help her after Nolene tells him how her family doesn't take charity from anyone, Nolene feels they cause nothing but trouble as she despises Jean for helping Leanne she feels led up to her death at the end of Episode 121 after she's taken to Wentworth. Paddy Maguire (Jean Cain – episodes 15–149), Older member of staff who had minor speaking roles in first two series. Joyce Edith Barry (later Pringle) (Joy Westmore – episodes 29-692), usually friendly, competent but occasionally a little dim-witted officer who eventually marries the prison chef Mervin Pringle (Ernie Bourne). Possibly best remembered for her kidnap at the hands of Lou Kelly, the brutal bashing at the hands of femme fatale Eve Wilder and her comic moments including her tap dancing classes and her ineptitude. Lou threatened and attacked Joyce whilst she was serving a brief stint as acting governor. She was one of the guards who was trapped in the Rec. room during the infamous Ballinger siege, where she tried to hold things together, but after it was over, she fell apart. Despite her occasional lapses of ineptitude and the fact that she felt ineffective, she cared a lot about the prisoners, although at times she could be firm. She was seen at her best in ep.498 when she was briefly acting Governor during Ann Reynold's kidnapping, standing up to Joan Ferguson with courage and receiving the full support of officer Len Murphy. Matthew James "Jim" Fletcher – "Fletch the Letch" (Gerard Maguire – episodes 40-256), the prison's male deputy governor, a stern but generally fair, authoritarian army man who had a tendency to fall in love with some of his more attractive charges, which ensured his nickname – "Fletch the Letch" (given to him by Bea on his very first day!) – stuck. He has been traumatised by killing an unarmed nine-year-old girl in Vietnam (a fact he only reveals to the doctor) and the women take advantage of his resulting haemophobia, until he overcomes it. He later resigned to become Governor of Beechmont. He separates from his wife and begins an affair with a remand prisoner who he helped attain bail, but when his wife and two sons come to visit him at a motel where he is living – his enemies (ex soldier Geoff Butler and the husband of one of his girlfriend – brought together by their common hate against Jim Fletcher) plot to kill him by placing a bomb package outside his room. However, one of Fletcher's children opens the bomb-package intended for him, which results in his entire family being killed, but Jim survives without physical damages. Note: When he is in court in episode 150, Jim's full name is given as Matthew James Fletcher.