Prisoners Abroad’s film shortlisted for the Criminal Justice Alliance Awards

Prisoners Abroad was thrilled to be part of the prestigious Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA) Awards this year. Our short film, made earlier this year with a focus on long term imprisonment, was shortlisted under the category ‘Best Film’ and went up against three brilliant pieces of work.  

The film ‘The impact of long-term imprisonment’ explores the often-overlooked impact of long-term imprisonment overseas. Over half of Prisoners Abroad’s clients serve a sentence of more than ten years in prison, with one in ten facing life sentences. For those who return to the UK, Prisoners Abroad is often their only source of support.  

Featuring the voices of three family members, Angie, Cath and Sarah, the film presents the emotional strain, isolating and long-term consequences of incarceration across borders with dignity and honesty, humanising the statistics and s

howing the unseen toll on loved ones left behind. Produced by the Deputy CEO, Zeta MacDonald, and recorded by independent videographer Andrew Berekdar, the film has already contributed to record-breaking fundraising, enhanced public understanding, and been used for advocacy and educational purposes.  

The winning film was ‘Holloway’, created by Daisy-May Hudson, Sophie Compton, Polly Creed and Alice Hughes, which is a feature documentary exploring the lives of women in prison, set entirely inside the now-demolished Holloway Prison in London. Following six women, the film returns them to the abandoned building to share stories of survival. Resilience, and healing through sisterhood.  

The runner up was ‘The Wrong Man: 17 Years Behind Bars’, created by Jemma Gander and Fran Robertson from Two Step Films. The Wrong Man tells the story of Andrew Malkinson, wrongfully convicted of rape in 2003 and exonerated 20 years later, revealing the devastating personal and systemic failures behind one of the UK’s most shocking miscarriages of justice. Filmed over three years, the documentary centres Andrew’s voice while exploring the trauma experienced by him and his family, the failings of police, courts and the Criminal Cases Review Commission as well as the prolonged fight to clear his name.  

The other shortlisted nominee was ‘Limbo’, created by Imogen Harrison and SAFE!. Limbo follows Jessica, a teenage girl whose life is placed on hold after being the victim of a sexual offence, highlighting the devastating delays and failures of the criminal justice system. The film was informed by SAFE!’s Living in Limbo report and extensive consultations with children who had experienced similar trauma, ensuring that lived experience shaped both story and impact. It sensitively portrays how prolonged proceedings disrupt young lives, fracture relationships, and erode faith in a system meant to protect them.  

Prisoners Abroad are humbled to have been nominated and listed alongside these important films and strive to be involved in the CJA Awards in the future, hoping to again feature in one of the many inspiring categories.