Prisoner characters – background prison officers

A list of background prison officers at the Wentworth Detention Centre in the Australian television series Prisoner.

• Sue Bailey (Maureen Edwards), frequently seen background prison officer. She usually has a speaking part each time she appears. First seen in episode 151, talking to Vera Bennett in the staff room. She is referred to as Sue Bailey in episode 460. Is last credited in episode 629.
• Joan Barfield (Kate Fell), (Delva Hunter), prison officer seen throughout the series often blending into the background, usually with a confused look on her face. Played by Kate Fell in the early episodes before Delva Hunter takes over for the most part. She made herself very useful during the fire (episodes 326 and 327) where she was seen pulling a hose to extinguish the fire. She is mainly a non-speaking officer but gets a few words in here and there during the series. Barfield (Hunter) is the officer doing the lock up rounds in the show's end credits sequence from episode 295 until 481. This officer had it lucky from the prisoners as she was able to dodge most of the trouble.
• Gail Brown (Geraldine Girvan), frequently seen non-speaking background prison officer. Credited only once in the duration of the series (episode 446) for lying unconscious in the staff room after drinking from the drugged tea urn. Takes over doing the lock up rounds over the end credits from episode 482 until the final episode.
• Officer Carter (Dawn Klingberg). Klingberg appeared as an officer initially named Officer Edwards in the earlier episodes of the series. Her most notable moment was when she is on night shift when terrorists break into the prison for prisoner Janet Dominguez (episodes 82, 83). She is the only officer who had not drunk the drugged coffee. She is referred to as Carter from episode 156, probably due to a scripting error.
• Officer Davies (Cheryle Ballantine) seen occasionally in a limited number of episodes towards the end of the series. She occasionally has dialogue.
• Officer Grahame (Susan Arnold), background officer in the earlier episodes. Can be seen in the final credit sequence doing lock up from episode 5 until 294.
• Officer Green (John Allen) occasional background officer who only speaks in episode 533 saying, "Get your things together" to prisoner Frank Burke. Seems to be the only male background officer.
• Di Hagen (Christine Andrew), minor officer seen towards the later part of the series. She was attacked by prisoner Frank Burke (episode 502) and had occasional dialogue such as a conversation with Officer Pringle (Joyce) in episode 530 amongst others. Portrayed as being a rather harsh Officer throughout her run.
• Paddy Maguire (Jean Cain), minor officer, mainly in a speaking role seen in the early episodes usually credited with just 'Officer'. She can be recognized by her glasses and blonde permed hair.
• Officer Manson (Anne Phelan), the sole purpose of this officer, described in dialogue as being new in the job, was to threaten to resign over the favourable treatment given to Barbara Davidson (episode 17). She does not reappear in any subsequent episodes so she must have carried out her actions.
• Officer Morgan (Betty Hargrave), Non speaking Officer seen in early episodes of the series.
• Helen O'Shea (Moira Ward) Frequently seen non-speaking background prison officer. Despite being seen quite regularly in the mid years of the show she never has any dialogue and as such is never credited.
• Officer Owen (Kate Fell), (Anne Sutherland), this is a minor officer who, through a series of scripting errors, was played by different actresses who were known by other names too in only a couple of episodes apart. Kate Fell was credited as Officer Barfield in episode 59 yet in episode 61 she was credited as Officer Owen! Anne Sutherland was credited as Officer Owen in episode 63 but as Officer Williams in episode 61!(and various other episodes).
• Officer Parsons (Margo McLennan), only seen in three episodes. First was episode 235 where she was on dining room duty and taking Bea to the library for her Braille machine instruction. Second was where she tells Doreen to stop bothering the guard dogs. Her final episode showed her incompetence as her role was collecting Susie Driscoll from hospital, and allowing her to escape. Perhaps never seen again because of that last incident.
• Officer Phillip (Lise Rodgers), minor officer in the early episodes, with speaking role. Sees Doreen put a fork through her foot in episode 55.
• Andrea Radcliffe (Marion Dimmock) Seen frequently as a background officer. She does have dialogue in a few of her episodes, and is knocked out and taken hostage during a riot (episodes 600 and 601) then knocked out again by Janet Williams in episode 615.
• Joanne Riley (Kathy Gordon), junior prison officer seen only on occasion during the series. Has a small speaking part and sadly never seemed to progress further than junior officer level.
• Wendy Sharpe (Caroline Quist), background officer who was found dead in the laundry after catching the lassa fever (episode 393). She is only credited for two episodes and one of those is when she does nothing more than lay dead. Notably, she was the only background officer in the show who died.
• Gail Ward (Jacqui Jackson), frequently seen background prison officer and there for a long stint. She has dialogue in three episodes (569,590 and 593). In episode 569 Meg calls her 'Wendy' rather than Gail when they have dialogue together.
• Officer Williams (Anne Sutherland), minor officer and does something useful as she found valium during a cell search (episode 40). Sutherland was later referred to as Officer Owen.

There were also a few background characters that did not have names. Due to completeness of this topic they are also listed below:

• Officer (Jan Friedl), answers the phone in reception in episode 4.
• Officer (Margaret Younger), only ever seen in episode 9. She is never seen again.
• Officer (Sue Silver), seen in early episodes.
• Officer (Lorraine Kindler), tries to break a B block fight up in episode 462. One of the very few times another block is featured.

External links

• Who's Who in Wentworth
• http://sun-and-rain.harnosand.org/t_officers.html