Berwyn Prison in North Wales is the largest prison in the country, and the £212 million "model prison for convict rehabilitation" has recently plummeted in reputation and plunged into a whirlpool of scandals, becoming the "epicenter of the prison sex scandal earthquake" in the UK in recent years.
From 2020 to March 2023, 31 female prison employees working in male prisons were laid off, a figure that is more than 50% higher than the 19 in the previous four years.
Why have more and more female prison guards fallen prey to male prisoners in recent years? Some people familiar with British prison conditions told the reason behind this in an interview.
Factor 1
The number of female prison guards is increasing rapidly
Prisoners "premeditated coercion"
"These incidents are just the tip of the iceberg. A male prison officer who worked in the British prison system revealed that the number of sex scandals that actually occurred far exceeded the number that had come to light.
"These incidents are often covered up, and if a sexual relationship is discovered, the guard usually has the opportunity to resign early," the male prison guard said. They don't like these things coming to light, and it's very embarrassing. ”
Vanessa Fleck worked in the British prison system for 27 years, having served as a warden, the notorious male prison Wormwood Crabs.
Vanessa Fleck has worked in the prison system for 27 years
She was disappointed by the latest report. "I think this kind of thing happens more or less all the time in some form. "When you look at the number of cases reported by Berwyn, you have to ask — how did this happen?"
Vanessa pointed to changes in prison staffing procedures as a factor.
Under the terms of the British Prisons Act 1823, women's prisons were originally run entirely by female staff, while men's prisons were run by male staff. However, since the 1980s, open recruitment for positions of the opposite sex has been implemented. This change has led to a dramatic increase in the number of women entering prison services, with about 40 per cent of public sector prison staff today being women.
"In men's prisons, young female prison guards, especially those who are inexperienced, often feel like fresh meat in a shop window. Vanessa said.
For the outside world, it is difficult to understand why a prison guard would risk losing everything to have a relationship with a prisoner. So, what's really going on behind the prison walls, and why do some female prison guards take the bait so easily?
Some social commentators have tried to blame this trend on women's unconscious pursuit of "bad boys", a cliché that is considered a simplistic and stereotypical of women's complex psychology. Indeed, there may be a variety of complex psychological factors involved, including the urge to be attracted to some mystery or taboo, but in the statements of the prison guards, the prisoner's behavior was "often a premeditated coercion."
Factor 2
Prisoners set up bureaus to "trap" prison guards
Sex is not the end goal
Although prison guards face the dilemma of difficulty in controlling prisoners, prisoners are constantly watching for weaknesses and looking for loopholes that may be exploited.
A female prison officer who has been working in a category B prison for seven years explained: "For many inmates, sex itself is not their goal – it is a way for prison guards to smuggle other contraband such as tobacco, drugs or mobile phones for them. They know full well that by having sex or flirting, they can lure you into the game – and that's exactly what those cunning prisoners are for. ”
"You can't show the other side of your non-working state, or you're done," said an experienced female prison guard, "and I would warn newcomers to never talk about their private lives on the staircase because the inmates will be everywhere to eavesdrop and use this information against you." They might start with something as small as deliberately provoking you or even playing a seemingly innocuous game where the winner gets a chocolate snack. But as soon as you take the bait, you're caught on the hook – you've broken the rules. ”
"You do one thing wrong, and then they're going to press on and say, 'Can you bring this in,' and the whole thing escalates from there. The rules of this power game, the female prison guard explained, are simple and brutal: once one boundary is crossed, the others are quickly broken, and power is transferred from the guard to the prisoner.
The prison guard said that the prisoners were left with nothing and that they would create traps in the corners of the prison. For female prison guards, their careers, reputations and even their personal safety are at stake.
Alyssa Bates, a 30-year-old prison guard, had sex with an inmate and sent him nude photos
Last month, female prison officers Alyssa Bates and Jody Wilkes were tried in Bolton Queen's Court for maintaining a relationship with the same inmate. Bates was jailed for sending indecent messages and photos, while Wilkes was given a suspended sentence.
The judge in the case, Elliot Nopf, accepted the account that the prison guard was "trapped" by his lover. "He thinks you're someone to be approachable, but you don't have to accept that approach," he said. ”
Factor 3
The entry age for prison guards has been lowered to 18
Young newcomers vs professional criminals
Vanessa mentioned that people's perception of working in prisons has also changed. "When I first started this job, I thought it would be my career for the next 30 years. "But nowadays, prison service is no longer seen as a profession, but more like a transition for young people to come in for a few years and then move elsewhere." ”
The minimum entry age for new recruits has also been lowered from 21 to 18 when Vanessa joined. "In my opinion, this age is too young. "Eighteen-year-olds are running around, and 40- to 50-year-old career criminals are staring at them." ”
Other veteran prison guards are also concerned that young, inexperienced newcomers are more vulnerable to manipulation. "Previously, many of the officers who worked in hard prisons were former members of the armed forces who had real-life experience and were not easily intimidated. "But then they started recruiting more young people directly from the schools, who were enthusiastic but lacked the skills to deal with cunning and stubborn criminals." ”
"Imagine a 19- or 20-year-old woman who is only 1.6 meters tall, how can she possibly have the confidence or aura to challenge those seasoned criminals?" added another former female prison guard, "criminals will think that you are easier to manipulate and more likely to be their target than an experienced prison guard." This is the brutal truth. ”
Prison guard Aithia Gunn was arrested for having an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner
In addition, junior prison guards are given too many responsibilities to be a problem. "Former colleagues told me that now with 18 months of work experience, they are probably the 'most experienced' and need to make decisions for the whole team," Vanessa revealed. It's insane. ”
Vanessa noted that there were also problems with training, vetting procedures and related systems. "It's all in a hurry these days. "With overcrowding and understaffing, it's hard to get adequate training and support for new employees." They often have to deal with all kinds of complex situations as soon as they take up their posts, which undoubtedly increases the risk of making mistakes. ”
Last year, Mark Fairhurst, secretary general of the British Association of Prison Officers (POA), blamed the poor training and scrutiny on "the increase in the number of officers succumbing to corruption". He warns that employees are often recruited centrally, and interviews are also conducted via Zoom (online video conferencing software), which makes it more difficult for superiors to spot potential problems.
Factor 4
Regulatory blind spots and penalty loopholes coexist
How to deal with prisoners
The illicit relationship between a prison guard and a prisoner always seems surprisingly easy to achieve.
A female prison guard admitted: "Actually, there are many places in prison for them to have sex. "These places could be dimly lit lockers or claustrophobic cells. As long as someone reports the news, everything can be carried out without even noticing. Sometimes, prison guards can even find a reasonable excuse to enter a prisoner's cell, such as "I need to talk to this prisoner."
A male former prison guard recalled a case. His colleague had sex with an inmate in the prison's "methadone room" (the medical room where the addict was treated) and was eventually discovered. Because she had a unique tattoo above her groin, the secret was talked about in front of everyone by the prisoners who had sex with her. ”
Prison guards return to work after a break according to Visual China
Although the colleague was not ultimately charged, she was investigated and told that "you can resign and leave, or you will be arrested." She is also believed to have smuggled drugs for the prisoner, "for whom sex is never just sex. ”
While some female prison guards may get away with it, for most female prison guards, the cost of crossing the line is heavy. However, manipulators in prisons are often able to get away with it. "The whole focus is on women," Vanessa noted. She argues that prisoners are often overlooked in terms of their unique strength: time. They have time to observe, to understand, to manipulate the new, vulnerable staff.
"These prisoners can be brought to court, they can be transferred. She said that while there are already legal bodies to deal with such acts, these laws are not being used enough.
In response, a spokesperson for the prison service said: "The vast majority of our prison staff are diligent and honest. He stressed that a small number of misdemeanour prisoners have been successfully captured by strengthening anti-corruption efforts.
Red Star News reporter Deng Shuyi
Editor: Guo Yu, Editor: Feng Lingling
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