Another worker leaves Ter Peel women's prison over relationship with inmate

For the third time in eight months, an employee of the Ter Peel women’s prison has left due to a relationship with a detainee. She resigned this week after it came to light that she had gotten too close with an inmate, the prison management confirmed to De Limburger.

The woman is the third employee to leave the prison over an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner in eight months. In July, a male employee was fired for having sex with a detainee. And in February, the prison dismissed another man because of a romantic relationship with a prisoner.

The latest case is not romantic or sexual in nature, prison director Arend de Korte told De Limburger. The prison management acted after a signal “that an employee would pay more attention than normal to a detainee.” They investigated, speaking with the employee involved. “There were indeed friendly feelings for this detainee, which hinders a professional relationship, and she subsequently resigned.”

According to De Korte, they found no signs that the woman committed any criminal offenses. But non-professional contact with detainees is not permitted. “It is important that the relationship between employee and prisoner in a penal institution remains strictly professional,” he said.

He also said that the prison in Evertsoord wasn’t taking any specific measures after the three incidents this year. “Each incident must be assessed on its own.”

The Ter Peel prison, the largest women’s prison in the Netherlands, is also implementing measures announced by Minister Franc Weerwind for Legal Protection for all the women’s prisons in the Netherlands, De Korte said. That includes a separate attention officer for transgressive behavior and extra training for prison staff to establish clear boundaries for working with female prisoners.