Rebecca Joynes, a former teacher from Greater Manchester, is serving a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence after being found guilty of six sexual offences against two teenage pupils. The 30-year-old, who became pregnant by one of her victims, is currently held at HMP Styal, a closed prison in Cheshire with higher security levels.
Joynes refused to attend a remote teaching profession conduct panel hearing this week, choosing to remain in her cell. The panel was told she had no legal representation. While behind bars, she is allowed to see her baby, whose father is the second victim, but all visits are strictly supervised. Under prison rules, mothers with children under 18 months can apply to keep the child with them, but for sentences over 18 months, the child is usually cared for outside.
Given the nature of her crimes, Joynes faces significant risks from other inmates. A 2018 HM Prison and Probation Service study found that prisoners convicted of sexual offences against children are often at the bottom of the prison hierarchy and face bullying, harassment, and violence. Even those segregated for protection reported threats from both staff and other prisoners.
Joynes groomed her first victim, Boy A, by buying him a £345 Gucci belt and taking him to her flat, where they had sex. She later began a relationship with a second pupil, Boy B, while suspended from her job, leading to her pregnancy. She claimed no sexual contact occurred until the second boy turned 16.
Offenders like Joynes face strict licence conditions and must comply with the Sex Offenders' Register, updating their name and address with police or facing up to five years in prison. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said sex offenders can be returned to prison if they break rules at any point during their sentence.
