Record 18 female prison officers dismissed over illicit relationships

 A record 18 female prison officers were dismissed in 2025 for having illicit relationships with prisoners, according to the Ministry of Justice.

The figure was disclosed to The Sun following a Freedom of Information request. The newspaper reported that during the past three years an average of 13 women officers were dismissed over the issue, compared with an average of just three a year between 2017 and 2019.

The figures are likely to underestimate the scale of the problem because they do not count women who resigned before being dismissed, or women who had affairs with prisoners whilst working in prisons in other capacities, such as healthcare or education staff who are not directly employed by the Ministry of Justice.

According to the Freedom of Information release, the past five years have seen 252 investigations into female prison officers over alleged illicit relationships, of which 105 led to disciplinary action and 58 to dismissal.

Women working in prisons who are caught forming illicit relationships with prisoners can face a criminal charge of misconduct in public office. In the past three months Inside Time has reported 22 such cases from courts across England and Wales, including healthcare, education and probation workers. 

Andrew Neilson from the Howard League for Penal Reform said: “This issue is not one that can be swept under the carpet. More research and mobile data is needed to ensure there are sound policies for recruitment with adequate checks and proper training for all staff.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice commented: “Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action. Whilst the vast majority of our staff are honest, we are now catching more of the minority who break the rules with a bolstered counter corruption unit and stronger vetting.”