UK Jail Officer Sentenced to 12 Years for Sharing Underwear Picture with Inmate

London: A UK prison officer has been sentenced to 12 months in jail after admitting to an "inappropriate" relationship with an inmate. Toni Cole, who worked at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, accepted her involvement with a 28-year-old male prisoner.

On February 13, the Northampton Crown Court sentenced and ordered Cole to pay a £187 (Rs 20,464) fine.

After her arrest, authorities seized her mobile phone from her locker. Initial investigations revealed that she exchanged 4,431 texts and calls with the inmate over five months, with their communications often being "sexual or flirtatious," including a photograph of underwear.

The incident came to light after a meeting was held about an unauthorised overtime shift when Cole worked two days earlier. In the meeting, CCTV footage showed Cole spending significant time with the inmate, including moments where he placed his arm around her. The footage also revealed that Cole sat on the inmate's lap and offered to warn him if a cell search was planned.

Following this, Detective Inspector Richard Cornell from the EMSOU Regional Prison Intelligence Unit condemned the relationship, describing it as "totally inappropriate."

He stated that Cole’s actions jeopardised not only her own safety but also the security of her colleagues and fellow inmates. Cornell emphasised that while most prison staff maintain high standards, those who betray public trust would be held accountable under the full force of the law.

In another unrelated case, a UK prison officer at HMP Wandsworth, London, is facing charges of misconduct after a video allegedly showing her having sex with an inmate surfaced on social media in July 2024.