A former prison custody officer who carried out a secret romantic relationship with a serving prisoner using a prohibited mobile phone has pleaded guilty.

Jade Morris, 36, pleaded guilty today (Wednesday 25 March 2026) at Birmingham Crown Court to misconduct in a public office and to encouraging prisoner Jerome Nunes to use a prohibited device.

Jerome Nunes, 35, previously pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 10 February 2026 to two offences under the Prison Act 1952 for possessing and using an unauthorised mobile phone.

The relationship was uncovered in October 2022 when a mobile phone was recovered after being thrown from a window of a prison. Evidence showed sustained communication between the two over a six-month period between July 2022 and January 2023.

Georgina Davies from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Prison officers hold positions of significant trust and responsibility. The public are entitled to expect that those working within the prison system will act with integrity and always maintain clear professional boundaries.

"This case involved a sustained and deliberate breach of that trust. Jade Morris knew that prisoners should not have access to mobile phones yet chose to engage in a prolonged relationship with Nunes, directly facilitating his criminal offending and undermining the security of the prison in which she worked.

"The Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with the police to build a case which reflected the seriousness of this misconduct, leaving both defendants no option but to plead guilty. We hope this case sends a clear message that those who abuse positions of public trust will be held to account."

Both defendants will be sentenced at a later date.