Shaved heads, three-minute showers and press-ups at 5.30am. This is what is facing girls entering 'Shock' - the only US prison boot camp for women. Stacey Dooley meets the girls doing 'Shock' and also spends time in a medium-security prison to see what they will be facing if they fail.
19-year-old TJ's aim is to marry the girl of his dreams - the only snag is that he's gay. So TJ has turned to 'gay conversion therapy' to try and turn himself straight. Stacey Dooley spends time with TJ and other young gay American men going through this controversial therapy.
The pathway to the American dream is a dangerous one for some - it's a five-day trek in ferocious heat. Stacey Dooley follows young South Americans risking their lives to cross illegally into the USA. She gains unique access to the smuggling operation with the help of a local priest.
Stacey Dooley travels to America to explore the bittersweet world of open adoption. The majority of private adoptions in America are 'open', and encourage birth parents to pick the adoptive parents themselves and to stay in touch with their child as they grow up. Over several months, Stacey spends time with two young pregnant women who are planning an open adoption and tries to understand what it takes to make one of the toughest imaginable decisions; to give your baby away in the hope it will have a better life with different parents.
Stacey Dooley travels to Detroit to find out how homeless people are managing to survive in a bankrupt city that has around 70,000 abandoned buildings and is struggling to support its population. She arrives during the coldest winter the city has seen for over 20 years, when shelters are being pushed to the limit to accommodate the almost 20,000 homeless people living here. Whilst spending time in shelters, Stacey meets the young people who had nowhere else to turn and sees how they have been affected by life on the streets, in ways she had never expected.
Stacey Dooley travels to Chicago, the murder capital of the US, where almost half of those killed in 2013 were under 25. She meets the Hardman family, struggling to come to terms with the murder of their 19-year-old daughter Ashley, killed in the crossfire of a gang shooting. In a prison boot camp for young offenders, Stacey gets to know David. He's been in prison four times already and he's just 19. He got his first gun at 14. Can he really turn his back on the gang lifestyle?
Stacey meets victims and perpetrators of the most common type of stalking: a young mum’s ex in court, a pilot claiming heartbreak and a stalker just out of prison.
Stacey embeds with a police unit focused on cases of stalking: an obsessed fan, a man fixated with a girl half his age, and an ex-prisoner sending death threats.
In June 2020, when sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman did not return from Bibaa's birthday celebrations in a north London Park, family and friends knew something was wrong and reported them missing to police. Bibaa, 46, a passionate social worker, and Nicole, 26, a talented freelance photographer, were murdered as they danced to music, enjoying each other's company. Bibaa had chosen to celebrate her birthday in the park because of restrictions imposed during lockdown. The next day, Nicole's boyfriend found the sisters' bodies after family and friends organised their own search party. A year after the brutal murders of her daughters, retired Archdeacon Mina Smallman, who was Britain's first black archdeacon in the Church of England, invites Stacey Dooley to help her tell her story through both the trial of her daughters' killer and the trials of two Met police officers who took photographs of their bodies and shared them on WhatsApp.
In Cologne, large numbers of women reported being sexually assaulted and robbed on New Year's Eve by groups of men described as of North African or Arab in appearance. First shown in 2016, Stacey Dooley travels to the city to investigate the fall-out of these attacks. She gets to the heart of both the pro- and anti-immigrant protests which have broken out in the city since the attacks, but are activists just jumping on the bandwagon to further their political agenda?
First shown in 2016, Stacey Dooley travels to Greece to follow children on the migrant trail, as they flee wars and seek new lives in Western Europe. From small toddlers travelling with families to unaccompanied teenagers journeying thousands of miles alone, Stacey witnesses their experiences first hand. During her trip, Greece closes its borders to migrants and Stacey sees the striking impact of this on the young and vulnerable.
Stacey Dooley travels to Orlando in the aftermath of the Pulse Bar shootings in 2016. She attends vigils, marches and funerals to see how America responds to this latest atrocity and she’ll ask if this could be the one to finally make a difference. Stacey explores the levels of prejudice and homophobia faced daily by the LGBT community in America, levels that are often compounded if you belong to an ethnic or religious minority. With revelations that the shooter may himself have been gay, she will also try to track down and talk with gay Muslims to understand the conflict they face between their religion and their sexuality.
September 2016: Stacey Dooley embeds herself on the frontline with the extraordinary all-female Yazidi battalion, who are fueled to take revenge against the so-called Islamic State. As the battle to take Mosul from Isis advances in Northern Iraq, in this extraordinary film for BBC Three, Stacey finds these young women's lives have been transformed by a desire to avenge their loved ones who were murdered by Isis. In 2014, 50,000 Yazidis fled their ancestral lands in northern Iraq to Mount Sinjar, away from the advance of Isis. Without food and water, thousands died on the mountain and the ones left behind were massacred or captured. More than 5,000 women were taken to be used as sex slaves, with an estimated 2,000 women remaining in captivity. Two years after the genocide, Stacey spends two weeks with this battalion of brave young women. Formed by a renowned Yazidi singer, they have transformed into brave fighters. Many of them have escaped the incomprehensible horrors of Isis and are determined to rescue Yazidi women still under Isis control. These female fighters strike fear into the heart of the jihadists as they believe if they are killed by a woman they will not make it to the heavenly afterlife. Stacey meets cadets at their training camp as they prepare to join the battalion, before journeying with them to the front line as they prepare to fight. These women share with Stacey happy memories of their previous lives, and then the unimaginable trauma they have endured at the hands of Isis. With extraordinary access, Stacey Dooley for BBC Three meets the young women seeking to avenge their sisters on the frontline with Isis.
One year on from her first visit, Stacey Dooley returns to Iraq to seek justice for the young women whose lives have been changed forever by Isis. Stacey joins Shireen - a 23-year-old Yazidi woman who was held captive for over two years by Isis.
Should we all be making plans for the end of the world? In America, a movement of people called preppers are doing all they can to make sure they survive global disaster. Stacey spends time with three prepper communities who are gearing up for uncertain futures, with concerns ranging from civil unrest and nuclear war to climate change and natural disasters. Some have bought bunkers to escape to, others have isolated themselves from society. Stacey explores the reasons why they are going to such lengths to protect themselves. And she asks - should I be following their lead?
Last year in the UK 103,000 young people presented themselves as homeless, but the real number is much higher as thousands of teenagers go under the radar by sofa surfing or staying with friends. Filmed over nine months, this film gives a voice to some of society's most vulnerable young people, sensitively sharing their thoughts and concerns and shining a light on their struggle to find a safe place to sleep and their journey in securing a stable and permanent home. We follow Josh, 18, in Blackpool as he tries to hold down a job while bouncing between night shelters, sofa surfing and sleeping rough. As he's 18 and is deemed as having no local connection, his only option is to save enough money and find a place in private rented accommodation. Care leaver Shelby, 18, slipped through the net when she turned 18 and ended up on the streets. She has her heart set on finding her own flat as she wants to avoid the hostel circuit and getting in with the wrong crowd. She talks about the danger of being a girl on the streets and the importance of having friends to look out for you. Shelby's friend Caitlin, 19, has spent the past year sofa surfing and staying in squats. In her lowest point she sleeps in a tent given by a charity with her boyfriend under some railway arches. We follow her journey as she realises being independent is not all it's cracked up to be and that she is craving help and stability. We see her move into an all-girls hostel and reflect on the past few months. Shy Millie, 17, left her family home at 14. With ambitions to become a doctor Millie feels hostel life isn't for her, so with the support of Children in Need-funded project The Junction, Millie moves in with a local host family and finds the stability she needs to focus on getting to university.
BBC Three Presents Stacey Dooley investigates bounty hunters in the USA as they hunt down fugitives who have skipped bail, bringing them back to face justice. On the outskirts of Denver Colorado, Stacey immerses herself in the world of a group of bounty hunters, led by husband and wife duo Scott and Lydia Gribble. They hunt down fugitives every day, locking up as many as eleven bail dodgers a week. She sees them force their way into properties, interrogate accomplices and taser and handcuff defendants who’ve gone on the run. Stacey sees the lengths the bounty hunters will go to capture a fugitive and get paid. In America, defendants who are too poor to bail themselves out of jail rely on bondsmen to loan them their bail money. But when they don’t play by the rules the bondsmen can send bounty hunters to go find them and bring them back to court – so the bondsman doesn’t lose his money. These bounty hunters have sweeping powers and in all states but four (Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky and Oregon), nearly anyone, with very little training, can pick up a gun and hunt down fugitives who have gone on the run. Bounty hunters have been part of the American justice system since the 1800s, a system which uses money to make sure people don’t run away after they’ve been charged with a crime. And if defendants do go on the run, paying bounty hunters to go get them means they won’t get away. It’s a $14 billion private industry that does the job that in the UK falls to the government and police, with bondsmen making money from every defendant who needs their help and bounty hunters making money from every fugitive they capture. Alongside the bounty hunting profession, Stacey learns how the commercial bail system works in America. Robert Boykin is the owner of Hope Bail Bonds. He pays Scott and the gang to hunt down fugitives who have skipped on the bail he has loaned the defendants, for a price. Robert says he is helping people - getting defendants out of jail who
Stacey Dooley meets an arms dealing family in the USA who supply more than 100 countries with high-grade weapons. She gets a rare glimpse into this strange world - hanging out with the mum who sells all kinds of arms from grenade launchers to sniper rifles, and her son, who makes thousands of bullets for the weapons his mum sells. Stacey finds out which countries can and can't buy international arms, and sees how deals are made in this most secretive business, which kits out armies, law enforcement agencies, private security companies and individuals. She goes inside a gun factory to see how weapons are made, checks out the latest in guns with facial recognition, loads a bullet case with gunpowder and learns to shoot one of the world's most powerful sniper rifles. While she questions the morality of this unusual career choice, and worries about guns falling into the wrong hands, she discovers these arms dealers have their own code of honour and set of ethics. So - are the weapons they deal protecting us, or killing us?
Every year thousands of young people are brought to mental health units across the UK to seek treatment. Latest estimates put the number of people who suffer from a mental health condition at one in three, and most first experience problems when they are young. Stacey is going to work in Springfield Hospital, one of the oldest mental health units in the UK, to see what life is really like on the front line of mental health services. More than just observing, she will be working directly with staff, dealing with patients, and taking part in making incredibly tough decisions about what is best for patients. Stacey meets Rachelle, who has been diagnosed with EUPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder). Still in her twenties, she has had a troubled life already - full of suicide attempts and self-harm. She opens up to Stacey about her struggles with her illness, and her hope that she will soon get the talking therapy that she believes could be the solution to her problems. The doctors here agree that this is not the best place for Rachelle to be, and they are hoping she will get a place at a specialist unit in Cambridge where she can make real progress in coping with her condition. Stacey also spends time in a special acute assessment unit, where patients can self-refer. She meets 19-year-old Kyle, who has come to Springfield in the midst of a severe depression and after an incident of self-harm. As Stacey takes part in a discussion with staff about whether to admit him to the hospital or support him in the community, she experiences for herself just how difficult the decisions and the judgement calls are that the team have to make. Police have brought Laura to the 136 unit, so called because it is the local designated place of safety as defined under section 136 of the Mental Health Act. She has been sectioned after being found on a motorway bridge, threatening to jump. She opens up to Stacey as they talk, trying to explain her thinking and her ongoing
Stacey Dooley's on lockdown! But she's on the hunt for the everyday heroes of the crisis. Stuck in her flat but armed with social media and a network of contacts, Stacey reaches out to people across the country in search of those who are trying to help others. In Wigan, there’s Charlotte, a teacher turned scrubs maker who is making protective equipment and has a backlog of orders to fill. She’s working 14-hour days for free, managing a team of 70 seamstresses, to provide desperately needed equipment to frontline service workers. Those on the front line include people like Serena and Richard, St John Ambulance volunteers who have joined thousands of others to help the health service manage the crisis. Stacey learns what's driving people to such selfless acts up and down the country. There’s also Elly, a mum to be who has suddenly found herself about to give birth in the middle of a global pandemic. These are crazy times, and Elly can’t quite believe the world she’s bringing her baby into. Being a new mum is hard at the best of times, but Elly is ready to take on the challenge. While Brits across the world struggled to get home, some chose to stay overseas and help others. Freya was one of them. She decided her charity work was more important than coming home to be with her mother, who is at risk. While people around the world are being urged to stay at home, she is working in Greece to help those who have been forced from their homes by a different but still deadly kind of crisis. The impact of the disease is taking its toll, but in Croydon, junior doctor Zainab is working to support those struggling with the challenges of lockdown, and those recovering from the shock of being in intensive care. She knew that the workload of a junior doctor can be intense, but she didn’t imagine it would be like this, testing her resilience beyond all expectation. Still, she is determined to rise to the challenge. Stacey gets in touch with Jonathan in Glasgow. He ha
Mental health across society has worsened since the pandemic began. Stacey Dooley returns to Springfield Hospital, and over six months, including the second nationwide lockdown, works with the team to experience first-hand how the pandemic is impacting patients in crisis. Stacey assists staff as they treat a wide range of mental health conditions and takes part in the tough decisions necessary to keep patients safe. Stacey meets Coral, who is brought into Springfield by the police one night after attempting to take her life. Coral tells Stacey and the team about her long-running battle with anxiety and depression, which she attempts to self-medicate by drinking alcohol. The pandemic has seen a rise in suicidal behaviour, especially amongst young people. Stacey meets Oskar, a 20-year-old university student whose struggle with intense suicidal thoughts brings him into the hospital in crisis. For those with pre-existing mental health conditions, waiting lists and delays to treatment caused by the pandemic are pushing them to breaking point. Suziee is diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder, which causes extreme highs and lows to her moods. But with her therapy now cancelled, she is struggling to cope on her own and turns to the hospital for help. Stacey also gets to know 21-year-old Ali, an inpatient at Springfield, which is home to the only inpatient unit of its kind in the country for those with severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Since childhood, Ali’s OCD rituals have changed from repetitive tapping during stressful exams and blinking to keep her parents safe in the car to extreme bathroom routines. For severe OCD cases like Ali’s, this ward is her last chance at beating this devastating condition, and over the months Stacey sees a dramatic change in Ali’s obsessions.
Stacey Dooley moves into a convent to explore the lives of nuns. Will she cope with the sisters’ strict lifestyle, and what can she learn to make her life more meaningful?
Stacey follows three Ukrainian civilians training with British soldiers to fight Russia. In just five weeks, a florist, a welder and a jeweller learn to 'survive and be lethal'.
