Jailhouse crisis as Corrective Services NSW is rocked by 343 claims of ‘inappropriate relationships’

Investigators have been flooded with hundreds of complaints about inappropriate relationships between prison officers and inmates after a female guard was accused of jailhouse trysts with a cop killer.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal some 343 claims of alleged misconduct were referred to investigators examining ‘inappropriate’ relationships in the New South Wales prison system last year.

The independent investigation, led by a former assistant police commissioner, was launched after Kempsey prison guard Amy Connors’ ‘appalling’ alleged affair with maximum security inmate Sione Penisini was exposed in July. 

The ‘inappropriate behaviour’ under investigation ranged from officers being too ‘friendly’ and discussing their personal life with inmates – to more extreme allegations like corruption and sex affairs.

Kempsey jail prison guard Amy Connors (left and right, outside court) allegedly had a sexual relationship with convicted cop killer Sione Penisini 

Convicted cop killer Sione Penisini allegedly had a sexual relationship with Ms Connors

At least 21 complaints were from 2018, it can be revealed, with the rest of the claims made about serving and former prison officers in the previous decade. 

Critics said vast number of complaints were proof of a major problem in Corrective Services NSW. 

‘When this issue was first raised the Minister said he only knew of a handful of complaints, but we now know there have been hundreds,’ Greens MP David Shoebridge told Daily Mail Australia. 

‘People are sick of being told nonsense by politicians. 

‘The truth is there is an entrenched problem with inappropriate relationships between prison officers and inmates.’

But a NSW Department of Justice spokeswoman said the investigation had found an ‘overwhelming’ number of complaints were unproven. 

‘We’re getting our reputation screwed and seeing this happen repeatedly just does our head in,’ a prison guard said (stock)

Corrective Services Minister David Elliott (left) spearheaded laws to jail prison officers who have sex with inmates. Greens MP David Shoebridge on right

Corrective Services Minister David Elliott launched Task Force Themis, named after the Greek goddess of law, after Connors’ alleged deeds became public.

Mr Elliott said he wanted to ‘humiliate’ officers who had breached the trust of the public and appointed a former top cop, Mark Murdoch, to lead the investigation.

He described the sex crisis as ‘systematic’. But the scale of the investigation – which looked at the agency’s response to allegations and how officers were disciplined – was previously unknown. 

Last year, Mr Elliott told a parliamentary hearing that four reports had been made about female prison officers having sexual contact with inmates in 2017-18. 

Of those, Connors’ story caught the most attention. Her alleged affair was revealed in excruciating detail. 

A typical New South Wales jail cell is pictured above last year

A former friend  said Connors acted like the ‘queen of the jail’ following a rapid weight loss

A former prison officer told Daily Mail Australia Connors and Penisini allegedly rendezvoused in interview rooms where there was no CCTV. 

Their trysts ‘wouldn’t have been marathons’, the officer said. 

Another former associate said Connors acted like the ‘queen of the jail’ after rapid weight loss – culminating in her liaisons with Penisini. 

In 2002, Penisini fired the shots that killed highway patrolman Glenn McEnallay. He is serving a 36-year jail sentence.

Since Connors was charged, the government has passed laws that would jail prison officers for two years and fine them $2200 for sexual relationships with inmates. 

Meantime, Task Force Themis has handed its final report to the secretary of the Department of Justice and the Corrective Services Minister for consideration.  

Connors has been charged with misconduct in public office. Her case returns to court next week.