Episode 2 Prison, My Family and Me

This programme contains some strong language.

-We all want things from the people we love.

-A boyfriend should be somebody that can make you smile,

can make you happy, can pick you up when you're feeling down.

And then I was obviously 11 and caring. Too far.

Everyone wants a father figure, someone to go to the pub with

or play football with or help with their homework.

So how do you cope

when someone close to you is locked up for committing a terrible crime?

Some days, I can have my depressing days and I can really break down.

My mum was in pieces. I was in pieces.

Everyone in my family was in pieces.

I don't understand that.

No matter how hard things get,

you've got to be supportive to the man you love, and I am.

This film follows the stories of four extraordinary young people

whose lives are turned upside down by having a loved one in prison.

We woke to 30 to 40 police officers in our house

with bullet-proof vests on.

He didn't realise that his actions were going to have

such a negative impact on my life.

Filmed over 18 months, their lives take dramatic turns...

It's all a bit much now. I just want it all sorted out.

There has been occasions in the past when you weren't there to help me.

How can I focus when people in school ask why my dad's in jail?

-What the...? That's

-BLEEP

-hurtful.

..as they face the challenges

of loving someone on the wrong side of the law.

The one thing you want there with you, you can't have.

And it is heartbreaking.

I've never heard my dad accept responsibility for anything,

let alone shaping my life.

Eight years without your dad,

seeing him about once a month is just too hard to think about.

This is the Gibsons' household in rural Suffolk.

Mum Christine, 19-year-old Becky,

her brother Matt and her two little sisters, Rachel and Sarah.

Their father, Graham, has just gone to prison for eight years.

He was found guilty of a £52 million pension scheme fraud.

It's just unbelievable. It was really upsetting.

We still all remember it really clearly to this day.

It's something that we're never going to forget.

This is my mum's room.

This room, you can hear cars coming down the lane and stuff,

and obviously, when we first got raided,

you could hear the cars outside and you could hear doors slamming.

It's really hard to explain, when you wake up,

and you have 30 or so police officers in your house.

The first feeling is fear, really, why are they here?

Are they after you? Have you done something?

And then, when you realise it's one of your parents,

it's like, they're going to take him away in a police van,

they're going to lock him up.

It has a long-term lasting effect, to the point where, at one point,

I didn't leave the house for weeks on end, because I was scared to go out.

I would have panic attacks in the middle of town

when I was shopping with my friends.

Becky and her family live in a close-knit community.

We'd hoped they'd be supportive, cos when we first moved here,

we'd all just stand and chat on the lane type of thing.

We were getting on well.

Then they just all sort of turned when it happened, you know.

You do feel like you're being judged.

When someone hears that you've got a parent in jail,

you're a bit like, "Oh, maybe you're just like them

"and you're going to end up in jail as well,"

and it is really hurtful.

Before Graham went to prison, the Gibsons were comfortably off.

Becky was used to family holidays in Thailand

and pool parties in the back garden.

Since Graham has gone, the family have lost their main wage-earner,

and all their assets have been frozen.

I think these are all my bills now.

I've just about got them in order.

Like, all the electric bill, the water bill.

Yeah, it was just me just start again from scratch

and just sorting out everything.

We get help from the prison, because it's a 50-mile journey, isn't it?

As I'm not earning any money,

they allow us petrol money when I visit with the children.

What do we get? 13p a mile.

Every penny counts at the moment, doesn't it?

Every single penny, yeah. It's just been a nightmare.

I must admit, the first few weeks, we got in such a muddle.

The family are struggling with their finances

and are getting by on Becky and her brother Matt's part-time wages.

We're a family of five at the moment.

When you're trying to feed a family of five for a month,

it's so difficult.

We've literally had to be financially responsible for the whole family,

and it's really difficult, because, you know, you think,

"I earn that money."

And then, we have to give quite a lot of it to put on bills.

I've learnt just to say, "Look, we need it."

I'm just trying to be mature about it, really.

Becky's family have not paid their mortgage for the last eight months.

I am worried about repossession at the moment,

because the bills are just so expensive.

It involves about £1,000 every month for the mortgage.

Before this happened, I thought I'd just have a nice easy life,

going to meet someone, get married and have kids, perfectly normal.

It was the last thing we ever imagined would happen to us.

Cheyenne is 16.

Her mum was caught trying to smuggle drugs into a prison

and has been in jail for the past two years.

I used to watch Bad Girls on the telly,

and it used to be quite rough and what they'd get up to,

and I'm thinking, "Oh, no, is that what my mum's doing in jail?"

Cheyenne was 13 when her mum went to prison. The sentence was four years.

I was quite angry with her, quite angry and a bit disappointed.

With good behaviour, she'll only serve two years.

If all goes well, Cheyenne could have her back in just a few months.

That picture was when my mum first went into jail.

I got birthday cards from her when she's been in there.

"To my Cheyenne, best wishes on your 14th birthday.

"Have a wonderful day. All my love always, Mum."

Every year, she always sends me a Valentine's card as well,

just saying she loves me.

She always puts at the end, "Mummy". Instead of "Mum", it's always "Mummy".

I usually get quite emotional when I get some letters off my mum,

cos I know straightaway by the envelope.

She decorates the envelopes. I know her writing and everything.

Since her mum went to prison,

Cheyenne has lived with different relatives.

She's currently staying at her grandad's house in Wales

and is being looked after by her Auntie Clare.

-INTERVIEWER:

-Is it always so busy?

-Yeah, all the time.

It's a small house, and Cheyenne doesn't have her own room.

Where do you get ready when you're here?

I either get ready in here or I get ready in my auntie's room.

I don't know - wherever's free, really!

And where do you sleep?

I sleep either in my auntie's bed when I want to,

but I find it more comfortable on the settee, so I stay on the settee,

big quilt, I just wraps up and watches the telly and falls asleep.

Since Cheyenne moved to Wales,

her attendance had school has been poor,

and she's been getting into trouble with her mates.

Always drinking, getting into trouble with the police.

I was fighting then on bonfire night, weren't I? Got arrested for that.

Got cautioned.

And what about school?

SHE LAUGHS

-Well!

-Don't even go!

-When I do go, I go on the knock from my lessons, don't I?

-Yeah.

I just don't go to my lessons.

Because like, no-one tells me off. They try, and I just don't listen.

I've got one of them things, I just blanks out the people.

What I don't want to hear, I blanks out of it.

Run!

Come on!

I don't know. She's out of control of the moment.

She just don't listen.

She promised to settle down in school.

You know, few weeks, and that was it.

-Being pushed from pillar to post, living out of suitcases.

-And bags.

It's not fair for her.

It's messed up her schooling. It's...

..and everything.

-Do you miss her?

-Yeah.

A lot, like really badly, like I do miss her.

Some days, I can have my depressing days

when I really, really break down.

I'll just be like, "I want my mum," I don't know.

Not long ago, I just broke down and thought,

"Oh, my God, what am I doing?"

I do miss her loads.

19-year-old Dean is unemployed but dreams of being a rap star.

He lives in one of the toughest housing estates in north-west London.

Everyone who lives on this estate, like my kind of age,

like none of us have had it easy, so to speak, innit.

It's not a nice place to grow up. You can see that by looking, innit.

Don't be flaunting your goods.

If you flaunt your goods, there's a lot of hungry people round here

that won't be happy to see you with an iPhone or a BlackBerry, like.

Dean's father, also called Dean,

spent much of his son's childhood in and out of prison

and, as a result, has had little input into his upbringing.

I never had a dad.

He was locked for prolonged periods throughout my whole life.

I've had one stable home ever.

Dean was brought up by a series of different relatives.

I've lived in Mill Hill, West Hendon, Watford, Kingsbury, Stanmore,

Welwyn Garden City, Luton, even Spain for three months.

I've lived all over, and that is because of my dad.

If my dad never went to prison and I'd just lived in one place as a stable family unit,

I would have had a much better chance of thriving in school.

The plan always was, when I was younger,

I was looking to go to university or at least college.

But the way I look at it, my dad being away so much,

it's just completely knocked any chance of stability I had,

and because of that, I was never actually able to sit down and focus

and think about what it was that I actually wanted.

Dean's dad has been out of prison since 2006

but had spent the previous 12 years in and out of jail.

I started painting in prison.

This one's called Glasto Baby.

This is Glastonbury, this is Dance Village.

I was a bit obsessed with Amy Winehouse for a while.

Amy with Marilyn Monroe hair.

In total, I've been in Pentonville, Ford,

Highpoint, Wandsworth and Brixton prison.

The first one was taking a conveyance without authority under the Theft Act.

Then the second one, which was assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Possession, article of the blade in a public place.

Conspiracy to defraud the major credit card companies and clearing banks.

And then after that, we get to 2004, which is 10 years later.

That's when it was the art and all the rest of it.

I was actually in prison for handling stolen art

worth £600,000, contemporary art, Warhols and stuff.

I mean, I had four Warhols for a year hanging in my house,

and mates would come round and say, "They look like real ones."

I'd go, "No, no, no they're just prints," you know.

And thinking they've got Warhol's fingerprints on the back of them, know what I mean?

But at the time, crime was like my business.

It was strange for me, because one day, I was walking home from school

and looking at a sheet of paper which was my homework about researching Andy Warhol paintings

and bringing in an example of six other pieces of work, yeah?

So, you can imagine my shock when I walked through the front door

and the Superman and one of the Marilyn Monroes

were in my living room, sprawled across the living room floor.

I was kind of like, "Whoa!"

Dean was in the car

when I was dragged out of an art gallery in Haymarket,

and the road was blocked off by four police vans,

and I was led out into to the street

and laid in the middle of the road and handcuffed. He saw that.

(RAPPING) It was hard when my father was incarcerated

Real pain

Real struggles...

Since Dean's dad has come out of prison,

they're on speaking terms but aren't close.

Dean has never confronted his dad

about the consequences of his time inside.

I was just angry that he couldn't fix up and actually say to himself,

"I've got kids, I've got responsibilities,

"I need to be free on the road to help them."

I'd just like to sit down with him one day and say to him,

"Look, this is what you've done, this is the effect it had on me

"and this is why I'm like this now."

And I'd just like him to accept some responsibility,

because it's something he's never done before.

I am excited. A bit nervous.

I don't know. Just loads of emotions.

In Wales, Cheyenne is off on a visit to see her mum.

I knows I'm close when I see Bristol Bridge.

Until I get there, I'm like, "Are we there yet?"

Every time I get in the car, I'm like, "How long? How long?"

-Are you allowed to hug and kiss your mum?

-I am in this jail, yeah.

I weren't allowed in the others.

I wasn't even allowed to kiss her on the lips.

Because of all the drugs that were getting passed through the lips,

and mouths, I wasn't allowed to kiss my mum.

I weren't allowed to hold her hand, but I still did. I didn't care.

I made sure they seen it as well.

Because at the end of the day, like, it's my mum. So...

Cheyenne is entitled to one hour-long visit every two weeks.

But the visits are difficult to organise,

and in the last two years, Cheyenne has seen her mum just five times.

Yasmin Thomas.

'It's a lot to do, like, just to go into the prison.

'It is hard, but you get used to it after a while.

'I'll do it just to go and see my mum, so I don't mind.'

Hiya, baby! Come here. You OK?

(You smell of garlic!)

-Why is your hair straight?

-I know, cos I got it cut last night.

-The ends were really crap. My friend cut it with clippers.

-Clippers?

Yeah, cos you can't get scissors in here. So we straightened it.

-Do you like them?

-Yeah, they look nice.

I got the nails all classier.

What does it feel like seeing your mum in prison?

It used to hurt a bit, but I never used to think,

'look where she is - I used to think I'm happier I seen her now.'

-What do you talk about?

-What I've been doing, school.

What she's been doing - obviously, I know she hasn't been doing a lot.

'The time just flies.'

They're putting that on in school I'm overly hyperactive

-and I went...

-Because of me?

-Mmm.

-I need you to stay on there, finish your exams.

Just explain to them you're just so excited that I'm coming out,

-but don't give no attitude, Chey, you've got too much...

-Clare said...

You got too much attitude. You need to be a bit humble.

Do you know what I mean? You need to be humble and you ooze attitude.

-You know you do.

-Yeah, I know that.

-It's no buts.

-I need you to stay honest. Do you want to come here?

-No.

Well, carry on and not go to school and get kicked out of school, this is...

-No, I'm not coming here like I've been kicked out of school.

-Excuse me.

-Then you start going down the wrong path...

-No.

-Do as I say, not as I do.

-No, I'm not.

-You've got five minutes. Can you finish up, please?

-OK.

It's gone quick, hasn't it? See, time's going quick, isn't it?

Oh, my God!

'Leaving is the worst bit, I think.'

I don't mind doing all the rest...

it is upsetting when you leave them.

-I love you. See you later.

-Love you.

See you soon. Love you, baby.

The following in Mum's footsteps...

that's properly what they are thinking about me.

It won't be long, you'll be in jail. It won't be long, you'll be pregnant.

I say no, I will prove you all wrong.

I'm going to try now really, try and sort it out before my mum gets out.

Becky's dad has been given an eight-year sentence for pension fraud.

The family believe he is innocent

and are appealing against the conviction.

This is the revised appeal. All the exhibits and that.

There is a lot to do.

I have 100% faith in my dad that he was innocent,

simply because I have seen all the evidence.

I have seen the bank transactions,

I have seen it all through my mum and through the lawyers.

I have seen the evidence.

Which is why it still shocks me to this day that he is in prison.

Whilst Dad is away,

Becky and her family are trying to avoid falling further into debt.

When Dad went to prison, we had literally no money.

Mum was really worried.

So I was trying to think of the first thing that I could sell

and I had a brand-new doll which she bought me.

And that went pretty much to the bills, the electricity and whatnot.

You know, food and stuff we needed.

I've been selling any little bits I've kind of seen.

Even the family pets are up for sale.

They are Maltese terriers, except Rosie is half Maltese and half Bijon.

£350 each.

Until her dad went into prison, Becky had been running

a bespoke wedding dress business from her own studio.

These dresses were ones which were in our business.

This is one of Rachel's designs that we got made from our supplier in Thailand.

We had to stop it, simply because when we had a studio,

that was when we could invite clients over,

and we had a website and everything.

We had to stop it, because basically the website was costing a lot

to run and to use, and the studio was costing a lot as well.

So, when we lost the studio, we had to bring everything back here,

and then, you know, like I said, you can't really run a wedding business from home,

because it's not professional.

It was really upsetting to lose it when we found out that the rent was just getting too much

and we couldn't have it any more. It was really, really upsetting.

Mum invested nearly all of her savings into it.

We have probably spent about £15-16,000 setting this up.

Well, if I had known how things were going to turn out,

I wouldn't have put my savings into it.

I just thought it was going to be a nice business for the children.

So, yeah, I think we've worked out that we are going to make a real loss on it.

Some of the ones that we just bought off wholesalers,

we were hoping to sell them, get a little bit of money to help with the bills and everything.

I mean, I have a part-time job now, and so does my brother, and we are living off...

'That is literally what we are living off.'

I am trying to think how I took this picture.

With the mortgage payments falling evermore behind, it's vital that Becky can sell her dresses.

There has been times when I have been really angry,

but I've learnt to say, look, if we can give money to Mum to keep

the house going, to keep us afloat, then we will do that.

At the end of the day, you've just got to keep going through,

and everything will get better.

-Bags of coal.

-How many have we got?

-10.

-Good grief!

Basically, our local church, they've been raising some money for us

and they have got us all this coal this morning.

Because they know we have been struggling with bills and stuff.

Really, really nice to have the support of them.

It's been really, really good.

I can keep this topped up all day now.

It will be lovely and warm by tonight in here.

I won't have to sit there being cold with a blanket round me!

Dean has been invited by his dad to perform on a community radio show that he hosts.

They have asked him to take over the show for the week,

and obviously, he asked me if I wanted a slot,

so we are going to go, show him what we're packing!

You get me?

Since Dean's dad left prison, he's been running his own charity

which supports disadvantaged artists.

Hello. Second show of 13. Art Saves Lives, a community interest company.

Today, he has decided to give his own son a break.

And you are going to do a track that is what? Original? It's out today?

Yeah. It's out tomorrow on YouTube. Ready?

(RAPPING TO BACKING TRACK) ..Put it down on my calendar

..Must want me to get angrier

..Sit like a spatula

..They haven't got the stamina

..Keep away from the camera

..Huh, manlier

..With some dodgy-looking characters

Yo, terms and conditions apply.

Hold tight fuse on buttons.

Sorry, some technical difficulties there...

You're never too old to like this kind of music, I think.

Though the radio show went well,

father and son still have a long way to go

if they are to start repairing their relationship.

My heart goes out a little bit when I'm with him,

and I can't think what to say.

And I am an unconventional dad, so I don't know...how I'm supposed to be.

It's really weird in that way.

I can only do what I do and do the best I can.

All I know is that we're not arguing,

we're not shouting at each other, do you know what I mean?

We have got a good stepping stone, I think, to progress in this.

If you saw us together, you wouldn't think that we were father and son.

You'd think we were just acquaintances or like business partners or something.

There is no hug when we greet, there is not even a handshake when we greet,

it's like, "Are you all right?" "Are you all right?" "Yeah."

Everyone wants a dad. Everyone wants a father figure in their life,

everyone wants someone to go to the park and play football with, and help with their homework.

And I have come to a stage now where it would be nice to have someone to ring up and say,

"Yo, how are you? Do you need any money? Do you need any help?" It would be nice.

See you later.

Heel.

Heel.

23-year-old Anne-Marie lives in Buckinghamshire

with her mum and stepdad.

She is engaged to Victor,

who is almost at the end of the three-year sentence for actual bodily harm.

Victor is due out on tag in just six weeks' time.

Wearing the ring signifies that we are actually serious about each other

and it's actually for life

and it proves that he loves me and I love him

and we do want to take our relationship to the next level, like getting married.

If somebody asked me a couple of years ago, would you ever get with somebody who is inside?

I would put my hands up and say, no way.

Wouldn't do it, I'm not that type of person.

But then...I met Victor, and my whole world changed for the better.

-Come here!

-Anne-Marie and Victor have always known each other.

Her older brother is Victor's best friend.

But the couple only fell in love after he was sent down.

'I liked him before, when he was out,'

but I didn't know if he felt the same way.

So I did what a girl would do, you know, flirt, be a little bit silly,

and then finding out he actually got sent down broke my heart.

And then I wrote him a letter telling him how I felt,

not knowing that he had sent me one,

and we both received our letters on the same day.

And we've been together ever since.

"Hello, gorgeous. How have you been?

"I've realised now is the time to get my head screwed on and stop acting like a kid.

"I've got responsibilities now.

"I don't want to come back to prison again.

"All I'm going to do while I'm in jail is hit the gym,

"work out and hopefully come out without the beer belly!

"Save yourself for me!

"No, seriously, be good. Lots of love, Victor Kavanagh."

Victor was jailed with two others for assaulting a man whilst burgling his house.

The victim suffered multiple injuries.

I think that Victor does deserve to be in there for the crime that he committed.

This has literally taught him a lesson.

He's had a lot of time to think in there

and he does regret everything and he regrets hurting people in the process.

You know, he was meant to be out in March...

With Victor's release approaching,

Anne-Marie's mum Daisy has concerns.

Do you worry about Anne-Marie?

Yes.

They've not actually been together,

they've not actually been out on their own,

and in my mind, you're worrying because he's inside,

and yet, for your daughter, you would like something...

her to meet a nice bloke, that type of thing.

Now, he could be a nice bloke - well, I know he's a nice bloke -

but you...

-You've still got the worry.

-You still have got the worry that...

is he going to still be like he was before he went in?

Me and my mum are really close, and obviously, she's always

wanted me to make the perfect guy who will treat me like a princess.

My mum obviously has her doubts about me and Victor being together.

Obviously, she has had a different dream of me being engaged,

and everything, but life doesn't always go the way you want it to.

At the moment, I'm off to go and see my mother-in-law,

which is obviously Victor's mum.

We are obviously going through this together.

It is her son, and my fiance,

so we have formed a very good relationship.

I'm hoping to speak to Vic, his mum told him yesterday to ring,

so fingers crossed.

Victor's regular phone calls to his mum and Anne-Marie

have to be pre-arranged.

Hello!

You're lucky, because it's just gone two.

Not that I'm keeping an eye on the clock or anything,

or waiting for that thing to go "Doodle-oodle-oodle-oo-doo!"

There could always be something...

PHONE RINGS There you go!

Hello?

Hello. Yes...

I don't know, I just feel that he's near when I get those phone calls.

Just to know that he's all right.

It's when he doesn't phone, I then think there's something wrong.

Victor's imminent release date

is causing mixed emotions in the family.

Just, like, as, as a family, we miss him so much.

He realises now that he shouldn't have done it,

he shouldn't have got involved,

and that he's actually missing us,

as a family, you know.

I'm scared, because I don't know what it's going to be like,

and I'm excited, because I haven't seen him for so long.

I'm scared it's going to be awkward with him,

because he's obviously changed.

So, what did he have to say?

He's fine. Yeah, can't wait to come home.

But he sounded quite happy?

Yeah.

Anne-Marie is hoping to be united with her fiance in six weeks' time.

Argh! I've got butterflies!

Right, Anne-Marie. Love you.

Love you, too.

Despite her best efforts to improve at school,

Cheyenne's behaviour has been getting worse.

And in the last few days, she's got herself into serious trouble.

I went back to school on Monday, I got suspended on Wednesday.

I had a meeting today, but it got delayed,

so I'm suspended until Thursday.

What's your mum going to say?

I told my mum, but I never told her everything, but Clare did.

She's upset with me, really.

She is. She's told me she's disappointed.

Year 11 report.

Terrible.

G, G, F, fail. G, G, G, U.

Behaviour, S.

It's terrible, Cheyenne.

"Cheyenne's attendance gives cause for concern, at 54%."

-That's disgusting, Cheyenne.

-Well, I know!

-Why are you doing it?

-I don't know.

I mean, I don't think I'm doing anything wrong.

What are we going to do with you?

I don't... Oh...

Doesn't matter what I say to her. Goes in one ear and out the other.

It's like I'm not even there talking to her.

That's her problem. She's never had discipline.

Child just needs to have her mum home

and for them to be a mother and daughter.

You know, I've caught her crying. But she won't, she won't talk.

She bottles it all up and then goes all over the place in school.

What do you think about what Clare says?

It's the truth. I just do nothing.

I just goes into my own little world. And just do nothing.

It's 6:30am,

and Anne-Marie is getting ready for her weekly trip to see Victor.

I refuse to miss a visit.

Even if I'm ill, I will go.

SHE LAUGHS

I like to get there early to make sure that I'm, like, first,

second or third, because the queues get so ridiculous in there.

Basically, it's first-come, first-served with the numbers.

If you're number one, you will get into the visit before two o'clock.

Say, if you get there about half 11, 12,

you will literally be, like, number 60.

I can roughly sit outside for over two hours,

wait outside forever to see the bloke, which I definitely would.

I'd camp there overnight if I could.

My mates think I'm crazy for doing this every weekend.

Even going in to see him, I get, like, shakes, butterflies, nervous.

You go in there and you're buzzing. You walk out

and you just want to cry.

Number one in the queue.

I love it, actually love it.

I am looking forward to him coming home, definitely.

Just want to spend the day with him.

Just want to go to the shop and hold his hand.

Chill with him on the sofa for a night. Just cuddle.

Have him home.

Dean has had a setback in his relationship with his father.

What does your dad think? Have you spoke to your dad?

Yeah, man, had a big argument with him.

Dean and his dad aren't on speaking terms.

They've fallen out after Dad cancelled a radio station appearance

by Dean and a fellow rapper.

We were just about to leave, and he was, like, oh, yeah,

tell your mate he can't come, tell him to go home.

And I was like, Whoa! That's a violation, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-I just like, if he can't come, I'm not coming, know what I mean?

He was just, like, Oh, you're a fucking waster,

and hang up the phone on me like a fucking big kid, so...

You ain't spoken since that?

No, just ignores me. He ain't rang me, ain't texted me, nothing.

He went mad on the phone.

Said I was disrespecting him, I'd ruined it for him,

blah blah blah, it's only a little radio...

started slagging off the radio station, slagging off me.

He's, he's really stubborn, you know?

I mean, and he's got that rapper's kind of pride, you know?

"I've got nothing, I don't need nothing, I don't need any help,

"I don't need this, I don't need that,"

you know, "I'm a big man, I'm this, I'm that,

"I've been brought up on the street." Half the time, it's just nonsense.

I don't want to reach the point where I say to Dean,

you get on with it - I'm here if you need me.

Because that's what my dad said to me,

and we ended up not speaking for 10 years.

Anne-Marie should be finally getting Victor home

four weeks after he's released on tag.

She's keen to look her best.

It is good to look good for him, definitely.

It's nice to look good for Victor, always.

The hours in here are definitely worth it.

I always work on Victor's favourite bit, and it's got to be the butt.

What does he say about your butt?

What does Victor say about my bum?

It's not what he says, it's the way he looks.

He likes to watch me walk away, definitely. And he has a sneaky grab!

Anne-Marie and Victor's mother, Sharon, can't wait to have him home.

It's going to be strange, him coming out,

but, oh, my God, I'm going to cry.

I'm going to be, like, screaming from the rooftops.

When you're running up to him, I'll be pushing you out of the way.

-I'll be pushing you out of the way!

-You'll see!

-Me first!

I'm going to be building up on these weights and going...

-Me first. I'm first.

-Not gonna happen.

It will be strange, because I'll actually have him home, 24-7.

There won't be cameras, there won't be officers,

there won't be a table that's fixed to the floor, with a chair.

I'll actually be able to wake up and hug him

and know that, coming home from work, he's going to be there.

Sharon and Anne-Marie are off to the local council

to try and sort out a flat for her and Victor to share on his release.

We know that, because he's coming out of serving a sentence,

they do deserve that chance to be rehabilitated,

so it really is a big thing to go in there and fight our case.

He's an ex-prisoner, but he's still a human being, at the end of the day.

And it's so important for us to get this place,

because we want to start our lives together and we've waited

over a year to be together now, and I just want him home.

There is a long waiting list to get a council flat.

The sick, disabled and those living in cramped conditions

or the homeless are top of the queue.

The meeting is unsuccessful.

Nope, we're still none the wiser, what's going on.

It's just...all a bit much now.

Just want it all sorted out.

You feel that people just don't care. You're labelled as...a crook.

-Villain's partner!

-And you just feel that they don't want to help.

-I'm sure that's not the case, but...

-That's how it comes across, though.

People might think, well,

if her partner's inside, then she must have a very dodgy past as well,

but I've never been in trouble in my life, ever.

You know, I work, I go to the gym, I go out with my friends,

you know, not everyone is involved in dodgy crime,

regardless of whether their partner is inside or not.

There are some girls out there that are respectable

and live their life and support their men, no matter what.

-Chin up.

-I am, I am keeping my chin up.

-All right? Don't give up hope.

-Definitely not.

I won't. I haven't let him down so far. I'm not going to start now.

Yep. Come on. Let's go.

"Hi, my little princess, have I told you recently how I love you?

"I'm just waiting for a form from the housing, so you can start

"to think about how you would like your bedroom to be,

"as you're going to need

"all new bedroom furniture, and mirrors and lamps, etc."

Cheyenne's mum has had her release date confirmed

and she's going to be out of prison in just a couple of weeks.

Only 25 days now, and she's out. Can't wait! I can't!

Soon as we get that house, we'll be all settled in. Fine. Be sorted.

I mean, it will be wicked when my mum gets out, I'll be a happier person.

Happier in myself, as well, really.

I wouldn't wish it on someone, to be honest. I really wouldn't.

I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, either,

because it's hard to live with.

She's your mum, she gave birth to you, she carried you.

You have a bond with your mum, don't you? So it is hard, really.

"So, my bee, my little princess, my darling daughter,

"always remember I love you so, so much.

"Because this is the very last time, I promise with all my heart,

"I won't break it, I won't ever, ever leave you again.

"Be good, babe, good night and sweet dreams,

"thinking of you always, all my love, Mum."

Becky's mum, Christine,

has received the news the family had been fearing.

This arrived yesterday.

"Please find enclosed the claim forms

"for the possession claim issued against you."

"This claim will be heard at the county court."

"At the hearing, the court will consider

"whether or not you must leave the property

"and will take into account information that you provide."

So, basically, they're going to take the house off us.

So, we'll have to find somewhere else, won't we?

Mmm.

I knew it was coming, but I suppose, actually having the papers,

with the court hearing and everything,

I just thought, another thing to sort out.

The next couple of months are going to be pretty hard.

You know, we admit we can't keep the payments up,

so now it's literally trying to get that sorted out,

and we're going to have to downsize to a smaller house.

Even though there's five of us,

we're going to have to get a smaller house now.

So, it's oil central heating. Kitchen...

-I know it's not what we used to, but it's quite nice, isn't it?

-Yes.

Now the family home is going to be repossessed,

they need to find a rental property urgently.

-You'd be looking to stay long-term, would you?

-We would, yes.

As we go through, you'll see the bedrooms are a really good size.

I have to say, the property could do with a little bit of TLC,

but the price does reflect that.

Quite daunting...

the amount of stuff we've got to move.

You're double-glazed throughout, so brand-new windows have just gone in.

Really nice.

I like this house better.

-You can see yourselves living here?

-I could.

I think cos it's all fresh and clean.

If you're keen and you think it's something you want to go for,

I'll ask for you this evening. I'll come back to you in the morning.

I will feel a little sad to move out the house, cos, you know,

it still holds some good memories.

It was supposed to be our last family home before, like,

we all grew up and moved out.

But, you know, just

because of the memories that are held in that place is just...

You know, we're all quite happy to move and to make a fresh start.

Anne-Marie is hoping to have Victor home in three weeks,

but she receives a phone call from Victor's mum, Sharon, with bad news.

What does that mean?

Why are they...? Why?

Why are they saying that?

Absolutely.

What? I don't understand that.

No.

Victor won't be released on tag as the family had been expecting.

He will have to serve his full sentence in prison.

Yeah.

He won't be coming home for another four months.

Heartbreaking at the moment. I just don't... I don't know what to think.

I know that he's stressing, I'm stressing

and there's a lot that we need to sort out now as a family.

I'm hoping there's going to be some light at the end of the tunnel.

I hope.

Everyone's like, "You're really happy lately, Cheyenne, you're really happy."

And everyone writes on my Facebook wall and they're like,

"Oh, tomorrow..." and, "Two days left."

Everywhere I go in the street, they're like,

"Cheyenne, your mum's out on Wednesday."

Bag's in the car.

-Excited, ain't you?

-Yeah!

Freezing.

Mum's texted. "OK, love, I'm on the corner, waiting. Love you too."

I've never seen her like this. She is very excited.

She's got butterflies in her stomach. She's all over the place.

I said, "Yeah, you will, you're speaking to your mum again.

"You'll be back with your mum. After two years is a long time, Cheyenne."

40 minutes late. 40 minutes late now. Not good.

Quick, it's on green. Go!

There she is.

I'm on child lock, I'm on child lock!

We've been waiting for this day for so long.

Cheyenne's mum has been released from prison on good behaviour.

She'd been serving a four-year sentence

for smuggling drugs into jail.

I just sat there and knitted and knitted.

I done him in a day.

-Did the penguin.

-I really like this bracelet.

The snake, look at his eyes.

What's the first thing you two are going to do together?

Me and Chey, she wants a phone.

But, as you must have found out about Cheyenne, she oozes attitude.

-Here we go.

-And she wasn't brought up like that.

She wasn't brought up to be rude, so I'm a bit disappointed sometimes

when I phone her and I hear her going to someone, "Shut up!"

when they're older than her.

So we got to sit down and have a good talk, haven't we, Chey?

Yeah. See. You know a way to tell

when I say something she doesn't want to hear? She doesn't answer me.

So I've got my hands full, but I suppose, in a way,

I'm not saying that attitude's to be expected,

but sometimes her actions are because of me.

I expect them and I think maybe, cos of my guilt,

I allow her to get away with things.

Hello!

-Hello, sweetheart. All right?

-You?

-Yeah.

I'm having you!

'It hasn't sunk in yet. It just feels amazing.'

She's just out now, she doesn't have to go back.

She's back for good, isn't she, babe? She's back now.

So it feels good.

Three days later, Cheyenne and her mum move out of Grandad's house.

It will be a while before they are properly rehoused.

And for the time being,

they are having to live in a cramped one-bedroom flat.

Wednesday she got out.

We started moving things up to the flat on Thursday.

We moved in the Friday. But, I don't know, I don't like it.

I don't like the flat at all.

I want them to hurry up and house us, really.

I've been arguing with my mum. I don't know...

It's like she's come back wanting to be in control straightaway,

and I don't like it at all.

-Cos this isn't what you expected, is it?

-Not one bit.

She's got to realise that I'm not a little girl like I was

when she first went away.

I don't know, there's mixed emotions. I don't know what I want.

I was all excited when she first came out,

now I just don't know what I want.

It's three weeks since Dean fell out with his dad.

Dean has finally decided to talk to him about their relationship.

The impact that he has had on my life is there to be seen, obviously.

Like I said, in school, I do think I'd the potential to do very well.

I could've gone much further in my education than I did,

but that's due to stability issues that he caused.

He probably knows the mistakes he's made

and how they've affected me.

Deep down, he probably wants to rectify the mistakes.

Since Dad left prison six years ago,

this will be the first time Dean and his dad have ever talked properly.

We've never had the opportunity to actually sit down and have

a one-to-one conversation, to say, "Right, what you feeling about this?

"What do you feel about that? What can we do to sort this out?

"Can we move on from this?"

We've never sat down and had that conversation.

-All right?

-You all right?

We haven't spoken for a couple of weeks.

There's no need for that situation to explode.

We could've worked around it rather than...

It's no good saying that after, is it?

You sent a text that said, "You've done fuck all for me,

"you never have."

-Why did it get all personal like that?

-I don't know.

Obviously, I took the "waster" comment more personal than it was intended.

I haven't wasted my life.

All I'm saying is, the reason I've been angry for the past couple

of weeks is the comments about I do fuck all for you and I never have.

What you saying about that? What does that mean?

Obviously, I never meant what I said. I was angry at the time, innit?

But obviously, there have been occasions in the past

when you haven't been there to help me.

That's fuckin' hurtful. I just didn't...

You know, have you got a problem with me offering you work?

Have you got a problem with me offering you the things I offer you?

I don't see how the offers of help can rectify what has happened.

Cos things have happened.

And like I said, I've had no control over what has happened.

I've just had to sit back as a bystander and deal with it

and move around from house to house to house.

The amount of different areas I've lived in.

I worked it out the other day, I sat there and thought,

"How many places have I lived?" It's crazy.

Shit happens, doesn't it? It's like that.

But the fact is, since 2006, I ain't put a foot wrong, really.

Think about all the years leading up to 2006, maybe start thinking

about the effects that some of the things you've done did have on me to this day.

You've got to maybe take some of the blame sometimes.

I honestly think that, if I stayed in one stable household,

in one stable school, I would've gone on to pass my exams fine,

gone on to college and maybe university.

But now I'm unemployed on the streets.

You can't throw that at me. At this point in my life...

Maybe I would've been able to work towards goals with a more focused...

-Life's not about ifs and whats, is it?

-It is.

What if, what if, what if?

How can I focus when people in school are asking why my dad's in jail?

If I can decide at the age of 18 that this is not the route

I want to go down and I want to be positive and get a job

and pursue music, why did it take you so long

to come to the same realisation? That's what I want to know.

I don't know. I just don't want...

No, I can't even go down that road, really.

It was different then. It was just different than what it is now.

It's different.

You know, because I know I done some bad shit in the past. I just...

I can only make up for it now.

I don't know.

Yeah, I take on board everything you say now.

Anyway, it's the first time I've ever heard

you speak like this, anyway.

I think, erm...

I do accept responsibility now that you've said it. I accept it.

-So we can sort it out, really.

-Yeah.

You've opened my eyes today.

We should go and get something to eat!

It was very emotional, man.

Obviously, like, when my dad said he accepted responsibility,

that was a shocker for me.

I was genuinely surprised.

I've never heard my dad accept responsibility for anything,

let alone shaping my life.

So, the fact that he accepted responsibility,

that's a big deal to me, innit?

And it means a hell of a lot.

Despite Victor's release date being put back,

Anne-Marie still has big plans for their future.

-It's a bit exciting, innit?

-Yeah, very exciting.

-I just want to get a rough idea of the wedding dress. Yes.

-Yes.

That's the kind of style I'd love.

This is one of my personal favourites.

-If you gave that a score out of ten, what would you say?

-Ten.

-That is really lovely, actually.

-That's knock 'em dead!

-Yeah, it is.

If you pop your arms up.

I love it. I think it'd be really nice, but then I see these bits.

This is the ten. I like this one, this is a ten.

Where will I be in five years? Hopefully married to Victor.

Maybe kids on the way. Don't know. Settled down, happy, both working...

..with prison being in the past.

Oh, it's huge.

I think all this has got to go. That's Dad's old chair.

-Shall we get rid of all that as well? Put it in.

-It's not going in!

See? It's out now. Eugh!

I think, if we can just keep ourselves afloat with money

and keep ourselves afloat with each other, and keeping ourselves

together, keeping our feet on the ground and just focusing on getting

Dad out, there's not a lot more we can do until he's out, really.

I'm not going to paint a pretty picture and say, "Yeah, me and my dad

"are fine now, we're going to go off on team-building exercises together."

Cos that would just be bullshit, you know.

But at the end of the day, he is trying to make a difference now

and he is trying to help where he can now. Obviously, I accept that.

It's never going to be perfect, but it's going to be all right.

Yeah, it's all good for me, it's all good, it's all looking up.

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