A former rehabilitation worker at a Lancashire prison has been jailed after developing a relationship with an inmate and smuggling drugs into the facility.
Jane Littler, from Chorley, received her five-and-a-half-year sentence at Preston Crown Court following a corruption investigation by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU).
The 31-year-old had been employed at HMP Garth since August 2014, where she ran programmes designed to reduce violent behaviour among male prisoners.
She admitted misconduct in public office but contested charges of possessing controlled substances with intent to supply.
Investigators found she had brought spice and 768 painkiller tablets into the prison.
The inquiry into Littler’s activities commenced in August 2021 when prison staff discovered a mobile phone hidden in an inmate’s cell.
Examination of the device by the NWROCU uncovered more than 2,000 points of contact between the phone and Littler.
This discovery prompted additional searches that revealed further evidence linking her to banned items and inappropriate communications.
The prison worker was convicted of developing a relationship with an inmate and smuggling drugs into the facility
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NWROCU
Officers arrested Littler at her Rivington Road home on October 5 2021.
During the search, police recovered mobile phones, handwritten notes, and packages containing spice alongside the painkiller tablets.
Correspondence found at her property also confirmed she had been conducting an improper relationship with a serving prisoner.
Detective Inspector Brian Morley from the NWROCU’s Prison Investigation Unit said: “This case demonstrates the serious consequences of corruption within prisons.
Correspondence found at her property also confirmed she had been conducting an improper relationship with a serving prisoner
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NWROCU
“Staff are entrusted with supporting rehabilitation and protecting the public, but when that trust is abused, it undermines the integrity of the entire system.”
He added that Littler had “facilitated the introduction of dangerous substances into a custodial environment.”
“These actions fuel organised crime, put other prisoners and staff at risk, and erode public confidence in the justice system,” DI Morley stated.
He emphasised that the sentence delivered a clear warning that corruption would be identified, investigated and prosecuted.
Littler’s conviction came as another “infatuated” prison worker was jailed after starting a relationship with an inmate.
Nikki Croft, 51, sent sexual images to the man, who she referred to as LZ, Lincoln Crown Court heard.
She admitted two charges of misconduct in public office and was jailed for a year.
Croft, who was working at HMP Morton Hall, a Category C men’s prison near Lincoln, even had a pillow printed with the inmate’s face.