Top Ten: Troubled Teens

Teens are a time of angst and drama, things that were certainly not uncommon in Prisoner. There were many youngsters in the series, and here are some of the more memorable ones.

1. Bobbie Mitchell
Streetwise kid and former child prostitute, who at first spent all her time dressed in lurid tangerine and hot pink clothes, nodding her head while listening to her Walkman. When her advances towards a male officer were rejected, she cried rape. She got kidnapped during a prison transfer, briefly worked the streets in Sydney, before being caught by Joan (who just happened to be passing at the time). Miscarried after an accident at the prison fete. Witnessed the sinister side of Bev Baker, when she had some nasty cuts on her hands re-opened as a "consolation prize" in the raffle. Eventually discovered a flair for electrical work, got her parole, went to live with Stan and Edie Dobson, and found romance with a fellow electrical apprentice.

2. Marty Jackson
Earliest version of a character played by 3 different actors of laughably different ages, physical appearance, and personalities. Meg and Bill Jackson's moody son, who seemed to do little more than look sulky and mumble a lot. Best remembered for his embarrassingly tight trousers with flares that ended half way up his shins. He eventually ran away from home (probably quite difficult in his outfit) and was promptly forgotten about, until returning on leave from his navy career a while afterwards.

3. Jennifer Powell
Colleen Powell's trend-setting daughter with her canary yellow disco outfits, crimping tongs, and whiny voice. Kidnapped and raped by armed robbers, then brought back later in the series, just in time to be blown up by a car bomb.

See also: Sarah Roberts was also the victim of a rape. Her mother tracked down the attacker, running him over with her car.

4. Kay Desmond
Myra's well developed young daughter, whose drug habit made Myra escape in order to help straighten her out.

See also: Debbie Smith - Bea's daughter, only ever seen in flashbacks with curious ginger edges. Had died from a drugs overdose, and Bea had been unable to help her from inside prison. The reason for Bea's strong anti-drugs stance, a lot of guilt, and the potty Zara Moonbeam storyline.

5. Roslyn Coulson
Her mother had been shot by Toni McNally after she'd been having an affair with Toni's husband. Ros in turn shot Toni outside the courtroom after the trial. Hung around Wentworth for quite some time, looking pretty and clever, before having the indignitiy of being written out via a transfer to another block.

6. Georgie Baxter
Interesting portrayal of a deaf character, whose behaviour problems largely stemmed from her inability to hear what people were saying. Embarrassing subplot when Judy got the wrong end of the stick and thought her luck was in big time. Reunited with her mother eventually, given hearing aids, and left happy.

7. Susie Driscoll
Brought to Wentworth after repeatedly escaping from institutions, and soon bored viewers senseless with constant daft attempts to escape. Almost got herself dissolved by chemicals when she got stuck in the filters of an air vent on one such occasion. (Curiously, rather than make this impossible to repeat, the filters seemed to have been removed altogether by the time the same stunt was done by Nora Flynn.) Became convinced another inmate, Jo Slater, was her mother. On the outside, had a brush with prostitution and drugs. Ended up in the halfway house, which was later named after her (Driscoll House). Finally went to live with Jo Slater and her family.

8. Kerry Brodie
Arrived at the halfway house, with a false name and some rather shaky acting. Turned out to be the daughter of Bea's friend Cookie (what a small world) and had run away because of suffering sexual abuse at home. Discovered she was pregnant with her father's child, and eventually moved away with her mother.

9. Judith-Anne Watkins
Grand-daughter of Mum Brooks, and the only really supportive member of her family. Became pregnant, and when Mum was released from prison, moved into a flat with her. After giving birth she got back with her mother, and they all went to live in the family house.

10. Nikki Lennox
Unpleasant young thug who had been mugging pensioners, and one of a group of teenagers who spent time in Wentworth on a "scared straight" project. The others were guilty of evil crimes such as stealing from sweet shops.

See also: Debbie Pearce - daughter of Bea's great love interest, Ken Pearce, and one of several “teenagers” who appear to be well into their twenties. Had an brief stay in Wentworth, in an attempt to frighten her back onto the straight and narrow.