A third female officer at HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire, UK, has been found guilty of having inappropriate relationships with prisoners.

Aimee Duke, 26, was sentenced to one year in prison after admitting to two counts of misconduct in public office at Northampton Crown Court.

Investigators discovered that she had improper contact with two inmates, sending 248 calls and messages to one and 254 to the other over a period of two months. CCTV footage even captured her leaving a single-occupancy cell with the prisoners.

Duke was arrested in September 2022, just a few months after the new £253 million super-prison opened. She was seen crying throughout her court proceedings.

This is the third case of its kind at HMP Five Wells. Earlier, 29-year-old officer Toni Cole was sentenced to 12 months for having affairs with an inmate, while 31-year-old Rachel Stanton avoided jail in July despite being involved with an armed robber.

These incidents have raised serious concerns about staff conduct at the new super-prison, highlighting the ongoing challenges of maintaining security and professional boundaries.