Prison officer faces jail after admitting affair with an inmate

A young prison officer in Wales admits misconduct in public office after an affair with an inmate and faces sentencing.

Prison officer, 23, facing jail herself after admitting affair with an inmate

Megan Breen, 23, from Newport in Gwent, admitted having a relationship with a prisoner while working at HMP Usk and the open prison HMP Prescoed between February and May 2022. She initially denied the affair but later pleaded guilty during a Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court hearing. Breen has been bailed and faces sentencing next month, with a pre-sentence report ordered.

The charge accuses Breen of abusing the public’s trust by engaging with a prisoner in a way that breached professional boundaries while acting as a prison officer. A second allegation of illegally accessing a computer was not pursued. HMP Usk houses about 280 inmates and is run jointly with Prescoed, which is three miles away and hosts inmates nearing release. The case follows a separate incident at Wandsworth Prison in London, where Linda De Sousa Abreu, 31, was jailed for 15 months after having sex with an inmate, a situation labeled a shocking breach of the public’s trust by a judge.

These cases tilt the lens on how trust is embedded in the prison service. A single personal relationship can undermine discipline, raise safety concerns, and invite public scrutiny. The penalties, including a pre-sentence review and a potential jail term, signal a strict stance on breaches of duty. The connection to a prior incident at Wandsworth shows a recurring risk and a need for clearer rules and stronger oversight in staff-inmate interactions.

As the court process unfolds, administrators and lawmakers will watch for reforms that tighten boundaries, improve monitoring, and strengthen accountability. Clear guidelines and consistent enforcement could help restore confidence in how prisons protect both staff and inmates while safeguarding the public’s trust.

Highlights

Public trust is a fragile asset in the justice system.