A 36-year-old former prison officer has appeared before magistrates accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a male inmate, providing him with gifts and sharing information about her colleagues’ work schedules.
Jade Gittins appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, accompanied by her fiancé, Matthew Bult, as she faced a charge of misconduct in a public office.
The allegations relate to an alleged relationship with an unnamed prisoner at HMP Holme House, a Category C men’s prison in Stockton-on-Tees, in 2023.
Officer Accused of Sharing Personal Number With Prisoner
Prosecutors allege that Gittins, who was 33 at the time of the alleged offences, developed a relationship with the inmate while working at the prison.
The charge states that she allegedly gave the prisoner her personal mobile telephone number, provided him with gifts and discussed the shifts worked by other prison officers.
She is also accused of entering into a relationship with the inmate in circumstances that amounted to an abuse of public trust.
The alleged misconduct was described as having been carried out “wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification”.
Fiancé Accompanies Gittins to Magistrates’ Court
Gittins, who lives in Washington, near Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, attended the brief hearing with her fiancé, Matthew Bult.
She spoke only to confirm her name, address and date of birth during the proceedings.
District Judge Adrian Lower ruled that the seriousness of the allegations meant the case could only be dealt with by a Crown Court judge, who has greater sentencing powers.
He granted Gittins unconditional bail and directed her to appear at Teesside Crown Court on December 4 at 9.30am.
More Than 50 Female Prison Officers Convicted Since 2020
Gittins’ court appearance comes amid growing scrutiny of inappropriate relationships between prison employees and inmates.
More than 50 female prison officers have been convicted of offences involving improper relationships with prisoners since 2020.
Last month, custody officer Jade Morris, 37, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for maintaining a secret relationship with convicted drug dealer Jerome Nunes at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire.
Birmingham Crown Court heard that Morris and Nunes exchanged more than 5,000 illicit Snapchat messages using a concealed mobile phone.
In August, two female prison officers were also jailed for becoming romantically involved with two brothers serving sentences at HMP Buckley Hall in Greater Manchester.
Jai Gascoyne, 25, and Elle Walton, 27, each received prison sentences of more than a year after admitting misconduct in a public office.
The investigation uncovered love letters, Valentine’s cards and jewellery exchanged between the officers and the prisoners, Dil and Haq Nawaz.
Concerns Raised Over Experience and Training of Prison Officers
The number of cases involving prison staff misconduct has also raised questions about recruitment, staff experience and the effectiveness of vetting procedures.
A parliamentary research briefing published in May found that approximately one-third of prison officers had fewer than three years of service at the beginning of the year.
Of the 22,067 uniformed prison officers recorded, only 5,519 had accumulated at least 10 years of experience.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, previously raised concerns that insufficient vetting and training could leave inexperienced recruits vulnerable to manipulation by prisoners.
He explained that some inmates deliberately target new members of staff through intimidation before another prisoner approaches them with apparent kindness and protection.
Taylor described how prisoners could first bully a new officer before someone else intervened and presented themselves as a source of support.
He said this approach could gradually draw inexperienced staff into relationships that prisoners might later exploit.
Prison Service Responds to Staff Corruption Cases
Responding to concerns about inappropriate relationships and corruption within prisons, a Prison Service spokesperson said most employees remained committed to their responsibilities.
“The majority of prison staff are honest and hard-working, regardless of their age,” the spokesperson said.
They added: “We are catching more of the minority who break the rules.”
