A prison guard is facing the possibility of two years behind bars over an alleged sexual relationship with an inmate that lasted “several months” inside a Western Sydney jail.
Melissa Goodwin was temporarily stood down by Corrective Services NSW while an internal investigation into the alleged affair took place at Silverwater Prison.
The 25-year-old was arrested by detectives at her Ingleburn home this morning and was taken in for questioning at Campbelltown Police Station.
Detective Inspector Robert Hollows said the woman compromised the safety of the jail by allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a male prisoner.
“She has been charged with misconduct in public office and engaging in a sexual relationship that is inappropriate within the correctional centre,” he said.
“The allegation is that there were five sexual acts at the facility in Sydney’s west and also there was an allegation of contraband being taken into the centre.”
Tobacco, lighters and chewing gum are among the items allegedly smuggled into Silverwater Prison, with police warning of “a zero-tolerance approach” to that type of behaviour.
“We take these matters very seriously — we will investigate, we will prosecute and we will put before the court any officer or corrective services employee … and deal with them that way,” Detective Inspector Hollows said.
“You’re dealing with inmates in a correctional facility, they have broken the law and for a sworn officer to engage with any type of activity with an inmate, there will be consequences.”
Melissa Goodwin has been granted bail while police say the prisoner has been moved from Silverwater Prison to “another facility”.
*story by Australian Broadcasting Corporation