A prison officer who had a relationship with an inmate has been jailed for eight months. Jahvine Kwamba, 21, admitted two counts of misconduct in a public office at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, August 7.
Relationship and money transfers
Kwamba met Roberts Sokolovs, a drug dealer convicted in 2021, while working at HMP Fosse Way in Leicester. The romantic relationship began in February 2024 and continued even after Sokolovs was moved to a deportation centre near Gatwick Airport about three months later.
Sexually explicit images were exchanged, and Sokolovs arranged for his 17-year-old sister and his mother to send money to Kwamba, who was heavily in debt. After Sokolovs was deported to Latvia, police arrested Kwamba and confiscated her phone, discovering messages, images, and details of the cash transfers.
Sentencing and impact
Kwamba pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct for accepting money and another for the relationship. Her lawyer, Sam Pooniah, said there was no sexual activity in prison and that the payments were to help her pay off debts. He described her as a 19-year-old living alone, away from family, in a job "well above her station."
Judge Timothy Spencer KC told the women: "This case strikes at the heart of our functioning justice system, including a functioning prison system. You, in your different ways, have all contributed to the undermining of that system of law and order."
Sokolovs' sister, Venera Sokolova, 20, and mother, Zita Sokolova, 53, both from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, were also sentenced for unlawful electronic communication. Zita received a four-month sentence, suspended for one year, and was ordered to pay £400 costs. Venera was given a 12-month community order with 15 days of programmes.
