HMP Wayland teacher jailed over relationship with prisoner

Melissa Frost was teaching at HMP Wayland when she began an affair with an inmate

A prison supply teacher has been jailed for misconduct over a relationship with an inmate.

Melissa Frost, of North Walsham, Norfolk, shared 107 messages with the HMP Wayland prisoner during 2017, as well as ringing and writing letters.

Judge Stephen Holt said the "most disturbing" feature was one she wrote on behalf of her children, thanking him for "making mummy happy".

She was jailed for four months but will only serve two in custody.

Frost, 36 and of Arnold Pitcher Close, admitted misconduct in a public office in January.

'Vulnerable and gullible'

Norwich Crown Court heard she "became friendly" with the prisoner in July 2017, six months after she started working as a supply teacher.

The affair was discovered when her then husband found messages expressing her "loving, longing and missing" for the prisoner, which he then reported to senior prison staff.

She admitted to the deputy governor there had been "kissing and cuddling" but said had been no sexual relationship.

All phone contact was through a public prison phone between October and December 2017 and there was no evidence of an illicit phone being held by the prisoner.

Mr David Stewart, mitigating, said Frost had suffered "unimaginable concern, worry and sleepless nights" due to the two-year delay in bringing the case to court.

She was "vulnerable and gullible" when the offences were committed, he said.

Judge Holt said at sentencing that "anything other than immediate custody would be failing in the public duty and responsibility to send a clear message to anybody working in the prison system that they must expect a custodial sentence" for offences of this nature.