▲ HMP Berwyn Prison


Prison guards at a British prison are shocked to learn that they have had inappropriate personal relationships with inmates.

On Feb. 29, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported that 6 prison staff have had inappropriate personal relationships with inmates at HMP Berwin Prison in northern Wales over the past six years.

A total of 18 prison staff members were found to have inappropriate personal relationships with inmates, including seven guards and 18 related agency employees.

This was confirmed by an anti-corruption investigation, which revealed that some employees aided or abetted inmates' misconduct and posted photos on social media revealing inappropriate relationships with inmates.

One guard was sentenced to one year in prison after he was found to have had an inappropriate relationship with a male inmate for four months, helping to bring smart devices inside the prison and taking photos, while another employee was sentenced to eight months in prison after he was found to have secretly handed a male inmate a mobile phone and sent him an inappropriate video.

Some have pointed out that the atmosphere inside the prison was based on deviant behavior between female guards and inmates.

HMP Berwyn Prison, which opened in 7, attracted attention for its relatively liberal atmosphere, including expanded use of inmate canteens and a gym and outdoor playground.

When this became known, the British Association of Prison Guards argued that 'the inadequate relationship between prisoners and prisoners is not just a personal problem but a result of structural deficiencies.'

The association blamed "the fact that inexperienced correctional officers have been used by competent inmates, and that the UK government has hired prison guards through assessment tests and video interviews."

"Anti-corruption training for prison guards is not realistic in a situation where wages are low and the cost of living is high," he said, stressing that "the recruitment process needs to be strengthened."

"In the last three years, the number of correctional officers dismissed for personal relationships with inmates totaled 11, an explosive increase from the same figure of 4 four years ago," the Telegraph reported.

Meanwhile, HMP Berwyn Prisons said that "the majority of our staff are hardworking and honest" and that "we are working harder than ever to identify a few who break the rules."