Prison officer jailed after admitting to relationship with prisoner at HMP Birmingham

Shania Begum pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office.

Author: Molly HookingsPublished 12th Jan 2024
Last updated 12th Jan 2024

A prison officer has been jailed for 16 months after she admitted to engaging in sexual activity with an inmate at HMP Birmingham.

Shania Begum, aged 25, from Telford, had pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct in a public office and appeared at Birmingham Crown yesterday (11 Jan) for sentencing.

Staff at the Category B prison in Winson Green became suspicious of Begum and an inappropriate relationship they believed she was conducting with a prisoner.

Begum, who had worked at the prison since December 2018, would take a prisoner into private areas on the pretence she was supervising him. While in private they would engage in consenting sexual activity away from the watchful gaze of other prison officers and inmates.

An investigation into the concerns was conducted by our Regional Prison Intelligence Unit which resulted in Begum being caught in the act and she was arrested on 3rd October 2022.

Detectives quizzed Begum about her inappropriate, sexual relationship with an inmate where she refused to answer questions but later pleaded guilty at court due to the overwhelming evidence that we presented.

DC Adam McHugh, from the West Midlands Regional Prison Intelligence Unit, said: “We work closely with HMP Birmingham and HMPPS Counter Corruption Unit, sharing their commitment to uphold the values and conduct that the public expect of Prison Officers. The behaviour of Begum clearly erodes the public’s trust in her as a Prison Officer, and she now faces a period of time behind bars.”

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