A prison worker has been jailed for eight months over a sexual relationship she had with an inmate at a Lincolnshire prison.
Yolanda Briggs, 52, of Horbling Lane, Stickney, admitted to having sex with prisoner Allan Collins at HMP North Sea Camp, an open prison in Freiston, in Lincolnshire, England. She was sentenced to jail after she pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office between 31 May and 19 September 2024, as reported by BBC News.
Lincoln Crown Court heard Briggs admitted the relationship to a deputy governor at the prison when she resigned from her position as an administrator and during a police interview. Suspicions were raised after Briggs’ colleagues noticed she was spending too much time in the staff mess area, where Collins worked.
Staff at the prison also received an anonymous letter which stated Collins, who was serving a six-year sentence, had bragged about having sex with a prison worker called Yolanda and had nearly been caught.
The letter also gave details of meetings between the pair in the staff mess area and at Briggs’ home when Collins was on day release.
Claire Holmes, mitigating, urged the court to pass a suspended sentence, arguing Briggs would find prison very difficult. “Her role in the prison was an administrator, she did not have a role in managing prisoners,” Miss Holmes said. Miss Holmes added Briggs had continued to stay in contact with Collins but added: “She knows she did wrong.”
Passing sentence, Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight stressed staff at North Sea Camp had a huge responsibility and Briggs “knew where the boundaries were.” “However, you remain in a relationship with Mr Collins and intend to be together when he is released,” the judge added.
