Prison guards having sexual relationships with inmates has become an increasingly common occurrence inside Britain's jails, with a series of arrests and prosecutions in recent years.
In 2024, married Linda De Sousa Abreu was filmed having sex with a prisoner at HMP Wandsworth. In January 2025 she was found guilty of misconduct in a public office. Although Abreu – who is also an adult model – grabbed the headlines, she is only the tip of the iceberg.
At least 45 female officers caught since 2021
Earlier this year the Prison Officers' Association called for extra vetting procedures after figures revealed at least 45 female prison officers have been caught having illicit relationships with inmates since 2021.
Enhanced anti-corruption training has been implemented across several British prisons following a series of high-profile arrests and prosecutions for unlawful liaisons.
One prison guard – Rebecca Pinckard – was sentenced to 32 weeks in jail after her own body-worn camera captured her performing a sex act on an inmate.
Recent cases and expert analysis
In January this year Jahvine Kwamba was accused of engaging in a romantic encounter with an unnamed prisoner at HMP Fosse Way in Glen Parva, Leicestershire, from February to June 2024. In March she admitted two counts of misconduct in judicial or public office, and a charge of transmitting an image and sound from prison without authority.
Dating coach Lauren Salaun says that in an “emotionally heightened” environment like a prison, “people can sometimes confuse emotional intensity, attention, or guidance with intimacy.”
She added: “Whenever there’s a significant power imbalance, strong boundaries and policies are important because true consent becomes more complicated.”
Power imbalance and attraction
“These relationships can easily lead to manipulation, favouritism, coercion, or emotional harm, even if they may seem or feel consensual,” Salaun said.
“In guard/inmate dynamics specifically, people can sometimes confuse emotional intensity, attention, or guidance with intimacy. Vulnerable or isolated environments tend to accelerate emotional attachment.”
The expert added some prison guards may slip into the age-old dynamic of an “authority figure wanting to be admired”.
“Sometimes the feeling of being admired, needed, or emotionally important to someone becomes appealing for an authority figure,” Salaun said. “In some cases, authority figures may develop a saviour complex or become emotionally attached to the vulnerability of the other person. Attraction can happen in many inappropriate contexts, but the attraction itself isn’t necessarily the issue. The issue is whether someone has the appropriate boundaries and maturity in place to not act on the attraction.”
