There’s so much bad news about our prisons that it’s easy to become fatigued by it. Another failing jail, another prison awash with drugs, another inmate released in error. As a result, often it’s only the most extreme or shocking examples which hit the headlines. But there is one particular kind of prison news story which is guaranteed coverage: a female member of staff caught having an intimate relationship with a prisoner. In many cases they’ve had sex with the prisoner inside the jail, or even in a cell.

The Wandsworth officer had sex with one prisoner inside his cell while being filmed on a contraband mobile

The most high-profile recent example is, of course, Linda De Sousa Abreu. The Wandsworth officer had sex with one prisoner inside his cell at the jail, while being filmed by a cellmate on a contraband mobile phone. But there have been many others. Merely reviewing the news over the past couple of months reveals case after case. What is going on behind bars?

In December, Megann Gibson, 26, was jailed for an inappropriate relationship with an inmate at HMP Wealstun and her part in a conspiracy to smuggle cannabis vapes in to the jail. On 16 January, Rebecca Pinckard was jailed for performing two sex acts on a prisoner, both of which were captured on her body-worn camera. On 20 January, Isabelle Dale, 23, was jailed........

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