Sat Feb 22 02:14:03 UTC 2025: ## Prison Officer Jailed for Inappropriate Relationship with Inmate

**Northampton, UK –** A UK prison officer has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for misconduct in a public office after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with an inmate. Toni Cole, who worked at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, engaged in a five-month-long relationship with a 28-year-old male prisoner, involving 4,431 text messages and calls, some of which were sexually explicit and included an image of underwear.

The relationship came to light on January 25, 2023, during a review of unauthorized overtime. CCTV footage showed Cole spending an extended period with the inmate, including instances where he put his arm around her and she sat on his lap. Investigators found she promised to warn him of upcoming cell searches.

Detective Inspector Richard Cornell of the EMSOU’s Regional Prison Intelligence Unit described Cole’s actions as “totally inappropriate,” highlighting the risk her behavior posed to herself, colleagues, and other inmates. He emphasized that the vast majority of prison staff maintain the highest standards, and this sentence serves as a warning that such misconduct will be met with the full force of the law. In addition to her prison sentence, Cole must pay a £187 surcharge. Her Samsung S22 phone, seized during her arrest, was used as evidence. This case follows another recent incident involving a UK prison officer facing charges after a sex video with an inmate surfaced online.

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