Because of her family background, Helen has wanted something structured in her life, to feel she can make an impact. She has a deep-rooted sense of natural justice and an instinctive empathy for those women on the inside who have been dealt a rough hand in life.
Helen's personality is complex and contradictory. She is talented and supremely able but suffers from external prejudices and internal demons. She wants to run a fair regime which can be seen to be fair by all who live and work under it. She can, therefore, sometimes be a bit of a stickler for the rules. Her uncompromising stance doesn't go down well with many of the inmates, or with some of her colleagues- especially Jim Fenner, whose activities on the Wing require a much more lax regime than anything Helen will allow.
Helen's strong belief in justice prevents her from being a rule-twister. She is warm and generous and can often be reduced to (private) tears when she comes up against the prejudices of the prison's old-boy network. She also has great empathy for her charges: their life stories and problems take their emotional toll on Helen. She is an excellent judge of character and relies on her instincts even when the facts tend to suggest she may be wrong- which is why she is so drawn to Nikki Wade. |
