Disgraced former prison officer Charlotte Winstanley has been released from HMP Drake Hall in Staffordshire after serving six months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence for her relationship with an inmate.
Winstanley, now 28, was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court in February after admitting misconduct in public office over her affair with prisoner Jabhari Blair while she worked at HMP Lindholme, near Doncaster.
The relationship began shortly after she joined the prison service and continued for around three years, including after she had been suspended and Blair was transferred to another jail.
The court heard that Winstanley smuggled prohibited items into Lindholme, including a mobile phone which the pair used to exchange explicit messages and images. Cannabis and a USB stick were later found in Blair’s cell.
Prosecutors said Winstanley also passed on confidential information about the prison, including details concerning prisoner movements, healthcare and searches.
Blair, who was serving a 12-and-a-half-year sentence for violence and firearms offences, admitted possessing cannabis, a mobile phone and a USB stick in prison. He was given an additional 13-month sentence.
The affair came to light after prison officials raised concerns in November 2022. Winstanley subsequently admitted the relationship and the offences connected with her conduct while employed as a prison officer.
