To think that female prison officers who fall in love with inmates are idiots?

It’s not rare for women in prison to be sexually abused/in relationships (depending on your perspective) with male or female officers. Proportionally of course there are fewer cases because there are fewer women in prison, but it’s certainly no rarer within that population than among men. You hear about it less often because the press love to put pictures of women in the news, and because women are less likely to be receiving drugs or phones as part of the transaction. And probably because women are less stupid than men at these things.

ETA: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/prison-staff-inappropriate-misconduct-sexual-abuse/

From the article:
‘Women working in men’s prisons received 72% of the total sanctions handed out for inappropriate relationships with prisoners in the past five years, with 51 women fired, openDemocracy’s investigation has found. Nine male employees working in men’s prisons were also dismissed over such relationships.
But the far lower population of women prisoners – 3,600, compared to 83,600 in the men’s estate – means they are disproportionately at risk. Six male employees were sanctioned, including three who were dismissed, over an inappropriate relationship with a female inmate.’

Security companies say the same. Thats why there are a growing number of female only security firms.

Poster 1:Loving the MN double standards going on yet again.
If these where male prison officers sleeping with female inmates all we would be seeing was how these male officers are abusing their position of power and taking advantage of vulnerable women.

But when the shoe is on the other foot...

Poster 2: I get what you're saying but a female officer can't rape a prisoner like a male officer could. That's the difference I think

Me: But in many cases, the guards arent violently raping the female prisoners. They're grooming them or blackmailing them but it isnt like theyre being physically overpowered as such.

I said this because Poster 2 implied that the ability to physically overpower a (presumably male) prisoner is limited with a female officer. I said that male guards aren't using their physical power to rape prisoners. They're grooming them (implying female officers can do that too).

I hope that gives more context.

The prison service likes to recruit females in the male estate because they are calmed by the presence of women and they enjoy female company which they miss.

can we see your proof of this please?

Being groomed or blackmailed is not consenting, therefore it is rape. I’m quite gobsmacked that you’ve implied rape is only when someone is physically overpowered.

ETA hopefully it’s just the way you’ve written it and I’m wrong.

I don't understand why any woman goes out with a criminal, but it seems that many women have no problem with it. A lot of these guys are incredibly macho and I guess these women find that attractive, but without the negatives that go along with actually being their partner. And presumably they think they won't be caught - is that having sociopath tendencies?

I kind of take your point. But I think there is a big difference between the male and female prison populations. The vast majority of women in the prison system have been abused/sexually exploited in their youth and are therefore more vulnerable than most (but not all) in the male estate.
There are very few (any?) hugely wealthy/powerful crime boss types in the female estate. And from the cases I have read about involving male prison officers and female inmates the men have often been significantly older than their female targets. So in general I would argue that the power dynamic is different.

I don't know why anyone is surprised, this is literally a porn flick trope!

I can't understand it personally. I worked in prison medical for some years and would under no circumstances want to take that kind of trouble on. Also the penalties are severe.

I went through the complete system starting in an SCH then on to YOI then on to the adult estate only a couple of affairs happened during that time female officers like any suffer mental health issues and relationship breakdowns and are targeted but some maliputive people some people do it out of financial gain and maybe some out of love.

Most I found very professional who do an amazing job under very difficult circumstances and some even felt comfortable coming in my cell sitting down having a smoke both make and female officers or playing a game of pool,I found most to be very good at their job.

I've been out of prison for quite some time and I imagine a lot of the old school have left and replaced with much younger inexperienced staff

No thanks.

What a load of rubbish!!

Pay for those roles are low and you don't need academic qualifications. It's shift work in often poor conditions. A lot of the people applying are from similar backgrounds to the prisoners, so it's hardly surprising relationships can start.

We probably don't hear so much about male officers and female prisoners because male officers are less likely to get emotionally involved and then manipulated into situations where they get caught. Like it or not men and women are different and I doubt most of the hardened male criminals are in a vulnerable place emotionally because a female office paid them sexual attention.

Statistically I suppose a high volume of male to female ratio within a particular age bracket there will be people who become attracted to each other and form relationships. But this is not what’s happening here. PP in the prison industry have summed up what I thought that recruitment and retention is very challenging and not stringent enough to ensure that the most suitable people are working in prisons. That’s not to say anyone working there can’t do a valued and rewarding role but these instances of sex with prisoners are shocking. It must be demoralising for those trying hard to get on with working in a prison with real integrity.

I think this is a great reason why prison officers should be the same sex as the prisoners they are working with as well as being mature enough to hopefully make better decisions.

Obviously same sex relationships might still occur, but keeping women safe from these manipulative men seems like common sense to me.

this is common unfortunately and makes me wonder if it’s at all appropriate for male guards in female prisons and female guards in male prisons.

Sex segregation here for staff too would be entirely reasonable to protect the majority - staff and inmates. of course the logistics of it is another matter entirely.

Yes. Vicki White.

I agree about the state of recruitment, I was a probation officer for 20 years and by the time i left they were employing starry eyed 21 year olds straight out of university, and they'd shorted the training to about a year. I can only assume that they want younger people to keep the pay low.

The very fact you have to remind your officers they're not going clubbing, suggests they're not mature enough to work with devious, criminal minds. It blows my mind that anyone working in these areas (police, probation, prisons etc) think that false nails, hair extensions and lip gloss are suitable to wear for work, But maybe I'm just an old frump.

Sadly there are women, of all ages, who find it flattering and irresistible to have male attention (no matter what calibre of male). Same as online 'romance' scams.

I currently work in a prison and agree there should be a minimum age of 25 to work there. However.... the turnover is huge and many are permanently recruiting. Many senior officers were made redundant during cuts years ago and now with an ever growing prison population the need is desperate. A tale as old as time in many professions.

Some prisoners are themselves vulnerable and many are very very manipulative. They often have years to build up and groom and individual(s) Flattery, starting small and testing boundaries. I have a rule i stick by... if I do something for a prisoner I have to be prepared to do the same thing for every prisoner. No special treatment and yes, it can be tempting as some pull on the heart strings and often have devastating childhoods, trauma and addictions.

It isn't all bad. I've seen many turn things around and met many good hearts.

The media love to paint an awful picture prison isn't easy, it's tough, and horrible. Working in one for me is an honour, and very humbling.

A prison officer job is going to attracts vulnerable people with limited education and supports, who are vulnerable to all the negatives of the poverty cycle. Many of the prisoners and their back stories will seem familiar to them.