Over 120 prison officers probed for corruption in the eight years to 2024, Sun investigation finds
MORE than 120 prison officers were probed for corruption in the eight years to 2024, a Sun investigation has found.
At least 29 were sacked for offences such as having sex with cons and smuggling in phones and drugs, while 42 more were disciplined.
The Mount Prison in Hertfordshire has the worst record, latest Ministry of Justice figures show — and one ex-governor at several jails said corruption had never been as bad.
At least 14 staff at Category C Mount have been probed, with five axed and seven disciplined.
Ex-warden Dawn MacCormack, 42, who had a fling with a lag, was jailed for 27 months in September for misconduct in public office.
Rochester Prison in Kent and Leeds Prison, West Yorks, are second and third in the corruption league.
John Podmore, who governed Belmarsh and Brixton in London, said corruption was “a greater problem than it has ever been”.
He said inexperienced and poorly vetted staff were being thrown into a failing system where violence and organised crime dominates.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “The overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and honest, and we have zero tolerance for the small minority who are not.
“That’s why we are bolstering our Counter Corruption Unit and strengthening our vetting processes.
“Where officers do fall below our high standards, we will always take robust action.”