Record number of prison officers probed for corruption, new figures reveal - after scandals including affairs with inmates and drug smuggling

By JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:12, 8 May 2026 | Updated: 13:18, 8 May 2026 A record number of prison officers are being investigated for corrupt behaviour including drug smuggling and having affairs with inmates, figures reveal. One in 15 prison officers was probed for misconduct or corruption while working across one of His Majesty's 120 prisons in 2025.  Corruption includes accepting bribes, smuggling drugs and even having sexual relations with inmates in jail. Out of 22,000 uniformed prison staff, 1,500 were investigated for known or suspected corruption and misconduct in 2024-25, according to the Ministry of Justice. This is an average of more than 12 officers per prison across the UK. A 50 per cent increase from an investigation conducted a decade ago. The number of prison staff dismissals 'surged to their highest levels in at least 15 years' with 164 staff being fired for misconduct in the year to March 2025. A shocking 83 per cent increase on the average over the past 14 years.  This comes as more than a thousand prison and probation staff faced disciplinary action last year while dismissals nearly doubled.  Some of the most notorious cases of misconduct and corruption were committed by female prison officers. Former prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu was jailed for 15 months after she was filmed having sex with serial burglar Linton Welrich in a HMP Wandsworth prison cell in June 2024  Megann Gibson embarked on an illicit romance with convicted gangster Ryan Horan at Wealstun Prison in West Yorkshire and received a one-year jail sentence Hannah Angwaba was duped by a convicted rapist into having a sham romance and smuggling drugs into jail Illegal drugs were found in prisons more than 26,000 times in 2025, up 25 per cent from the previous year.  Prison officers smuggling drugs is just one of the ways contraband can get behind bars. Other routes that drugs enter prisons is through visitors, drones, 'throwovers', mail and prisoners returning from court or arriving at a new jail. Among prison employees, conduct and discipline cases are 'substantially higher' among male staff compared to female staff with men twice as likely to be probed.  But some of the most notorious cases of misconduct and corruption were committed by female prison officers. Former prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu was jailed for 15 months after she was filmed having sex with serial burglar Linton Welrich in a HMP Wandsworth prison cell in June 2024. Originally from Brazil, Abreu was arrested at Heathrow but denied trying to flee the country. Megann Gibson embarked on an illicit romance with convicted gangster Ryan Horan at Wealstun Prison in West Yorkshire and received a one-year jail sentence. Hannah Angwaba was duped by a convicted rapist into having a sham romance and smuggling drugs into jail.  She tried to smuggle cocaine, cannabis and phones in her hair as she arrived for work at HMP Forest Bank, Salford.  A popular tactic among inmates used by 'pretty boy' inmates to corrupt female officers is called 'love bombing.' Male inmates will work together to corrupt female officers.  Several prisoners will be disgusting towards the officer while an outlier will attempt to seduce her. Prison officers risk it all for their dangerous inmates due to being insecure and having low self-esteem.  If officers are finding life hard outside of work they often engage in sexual relationships with inmates.  Cases of corruption are increasing due to several factors according to the House of Commons report.  An increase in inexperienced staff, poor vetting, insufficient training for new recruits and the effectiveness of the Counter Corruption Unit contribute to the rise in corruption.  Chief Executive of the Prison Reform Trust, Pia Sinha said the figures are 'very concerning.' She said: 'high staff turnover, sickness and burnout in a demanding role have eroded experience across the workforce, requiring rapid recruitment of new staff in recent years.  'At the same time, prison conditions have deteriorated significantly over the past decade, with many people spending up to 23 hours a day locked in their cells. 'This fuels demand for the illicit prison economy and creates opportunities for organised crime to take hold.' A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'While most prison staff are honest and carrying out tireless work to keep the public safe, we are successfully catching more of the minority who break the rules through our Counter-Corruption Unit and stronger vetting. 'Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action.' His Majesty's prison services defines corruption as 'a person in a position of authority or trust who abuses their position for benefit or gain for themselves or for another person.'  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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