Yvonne Atkins (Linda Henry) is being framed for Virginia O'Kane's (Kate O'Mara) murder, there is a game of cat and mouse between her and Jim Fenner (Jack Ellis) while the real culprits - Maxi Purvis (Kerry Norton) and Al McKenzie (Pauline Campbell) continue their reign over G-Wing.

But it's not long before Yvonne is ruling the roost again, when Denny Blood (Alicya Eyo) returns and tricks Al into confessing to Virginia's murder.

The stress of G-Wing mounts for Karen Betts (Claire King), especially when she and Fenner split, but the stress is no longer her problem when she is demoted to basic officer and he is promoted to Wing Governor by Neil Grayling (James Gaddas), the new Governing Governor of Larkhall, who develops an attraction to Fenner.

The bitter hatred between Maxi and Shaz Wiley (Lindsey Fawcett) grows and ends in tragedy following a brutal fight.

Crystal Gordon (Sharon Duncan Brewster) gives birth in the four bed dorm to a daughter but soon loses her faith in religion when another baby in the prison dies.

This is later revealed as a decoy, as his real girlfriend is new devious inmate, Snowball Merriman (Nicole Faraday), whom Ritchie is helping to escape from Larkhall.

The fourth series ended with the prison library being obliterated as part of an escape plan by Snowball, resulting in a fire that left several inmates trapped and fighting for their lives.

The departure of Shaz has left a vacant cell on G-Wing, though it is immediately filled by a mystery American blonde, Snowball Merriman, who catches Fenner's eye.