A prison employee who had sex with an inmate while he was temporarily released has escaped a jail sentence. Megan Breen, 23, who worked at an open prison, began an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner after meeting him at a hotel for sex during his home leave. The pair kept in touch through texts and calls, with both saying they loved one another.

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Breen worked as an operations support guide at HMP Prescoed in Usk, Monmouthshire, when she became involved with the inmate, who was serving a sentence of four years and four months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. When celebrating her 20th birthday, Breen and two colleagues travelled to Liverpool, where the inmate was from, and met him for drinks during his home leave. The two went back to Breen’s hotel and had sex before she also met his family on the same trip.

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The relationship came to light when Breen bragged to a new colleague that she had slept with the prisoner and accessed his profile on the prison computer system, despite having no authorisation to do so. At a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, it was revealed Breen had started at HMP Prescoed in June 2021 and received training which made clear that personal, romantic, or sexual relationships with inmates or former inmates were strictly forbidden.

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Concerns about her behaviour arose in March 2022 when a new colleague reported Breen had told him she had slept with a prisoner during her birthday trip to Liverpool. He first assumed it was a joke, but she later confirmed she had first spoken to the inmate while on night duty and later met him while he was on home leave. Breen also said she had met the prisoner’s family and, after returning to Wales, took hold of his phone and discovered messages from other women. This sparked arguments, and she then cut off communication with him.

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Prosecutor Thomas Stanway said Breen admitted to her colleague that other prisoners and her two coworkers knew of the relationship, but claimed nobody would inform the prison. When the colleague questioned her about the risks, she replied: "Five years, but no one is going to tell anyone." The incident was reported to the security manager the following day, and Breen was suspended while the prisoner was transferred to HMP Cardiff. Police were alerted, and a search of the inmate’s room uncovered a note with Breen’s phone number and Snapchat username.

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An examination of the inmate’s phone revealed affectionate messages between him and Breen, with both declaring they loved each other. Breen, of Feering Street, Newport, was arrested on June 30, 2022. Her phone showed extensive contact with the prisoner that March, with 558 calls and texts exchanged. She later admitted misconduct in public office and unauthorised use of a computer system. The court heard she had no previous convictions.

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In a victim statement, HMP Prescoed governor Rob Denman said: "Inappropriate relationships with prisoners and corruption has a devastating effect on establishments and damages the professional relationships needed to make rehabilitation work." He added that such behaviour harms prison security, weakens public trust in rehabilitation, fuels disorder, increases drug smuggling, violence, and self-harm among inmates. He continued: "It undermines the criminal justice system in Wales and throughout the UK."

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In mitigation, Scott Bowen told the court his client was the mother of a young son and had just learned she was expecting another child. The defence said Breen feared for her child’s well-being if she were imprisoned, also noting the significant delays in bringing the case to trial. Sentencing her, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, Recorder of Cardiff, said: "Even though you were young, you held a position of responsibility... You could have been in no doubt what you were doing was wrong and were well aware of the consequences."

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The judge acknowledged the hardship immediate custody would have on Breen’s son and unborn child. She was given a 10-month prison term, suspended for 18 months, along with 15 days of rehabilitation activities and ordered to pay £500 in costs.

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