A former female prison officer has appeared in court accused of having an improper relationship with an inmate and giving him a series of gifts.
Jade Gittins, 36, allegedly became romantically involved with a prisoner while working at HMP Holme House, a Category C men’s prison in Stockton-on-Tees.
Prosecutors claim she shared her personal mobile number with the inmate, brought him gifts and spoke to him about the shifts worked by other prison officers.
Gittins attended Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where she was charged with misconduct in a public office.
The alleged relationship is said to have taken place during 2023, when Gittins was 33.
The charge alleges that she acted “wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification” in a way that represented “an abuse of the public’s trust”.
Jade Gittins was accompanied by her fiancé Mathew Bult when she appeared in court over an alleged relationship with an inmate at HMP Holme House, a Category C men’s prison in Stockton-on-Tees
Gittins, 36, allegedly gave the prisoner gifts and passed on her personal mobile number
The alleged offences are said to have occurred in 2023, the same year Gittins became engaged to Mr Bult, pictured
The allegation states that Gittins committed the offence by “entering into a relationship with a prisoner, providing your personal mobile telephone number to that prisoner, giving gifts to the prisoner and discussing colleagues’ shift patterns”.
Gittins, who lives in Washington near Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, arrived at court with her fiancé Matthew Bult.
During the short hearing, she spoke only to confirm her name, address and date of birth. A man believed to be her partner sat alongside her in support.
District Judge Adrian Lower said the allegations were serious enough to be dealt with only at Crown Court level, where judges have greater sentencing powers.
He told her: “Miss Gittins, the matter that you face is a matter that can only be dealt with at the Crown Court, at the moment Teesside, where you should appear on December 4 at 9.30am.
“I am granting you unconditional bail until then.”
The case comes amid growing concern over improper relationships between prison staff and inmates.
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More than 50 female prison officers have been convicted of offences involving inappropriate relationships with prisoners since 2020.
Last month, custody officer Jade Morris, 37, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after carrying on 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 hidden mobile phone.
Two female officers were also jailed in August after becoming involved with prisoner brothers at HMP Buckley Hall in Greater Manchester.
Jai Gascoyne, 25, and Elle Walton, 27, each received sentences of more than a year after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office.
Investigators found that the officers and inmates Dil and Haq Nawaz had exchanged love letters, Valentine’s cards and jewellery.
The rise in prison corruption cases has been partly linked to the growing number of inexperienced staff working in jails.
A parliamentary research briefing published in May found that, at the start of the year, around one-third of prison officers had less than three years of service.
Of the 22,067 uniformed officers counted, only 5,519 had served for at least a decade.
Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said weak vetting and insufficient training could leave younger recruits vulnerable to manipulation by inmates.
Gittins is accused of discussing the duty patterns of fellow prison officers with the inmate
He said: “What they’ll do is that a new member of staff will start.
“They’ll set a couple of prisoners on him or her. Start bullying them, giving them a really hard time, being a bit crazy with them, and then some very charming person will come along and say, ‘Leave them alone. How dare you speak to her like that. Don’t worry, love, you’re with me.’
“By then they’ve already begun to reel that person in and begin a collusive-type relationship. And that immediately is something that sophisticated prisoners can start to try and exploit.”
A Prison Service spokesperson previously said: “The majority of prison staff are honest and hard-working, regardless of their age.
“We are catching more of the minority who break the rules.”