Allegations concerning the management of an offender - West Mercia Police, October 2017

West Mercia Police received an anonymous report relating to the conduct of an offender management co-ordinator and their relationship to one of the offenders they managed. The force conducted a review of their emails, which indicated the offender management co-ordinator may have inappropriately shared information and attempted to influence the offender’s recall to prison. This matter was referred to us in October 2017 as a conduct referral.

Our investigators examined the relevant email messages, applicable national and local policies and legislation, and obtained statements from several witnesses. They also interviewed the offender management co-ordinator under misconduct caution.

Based on the evidence available, we were of the opinion that the offender management co-ordinator had a case to answer in respect of gross misconduct for sending or copying confidential emails to an email address linked to the offender, and for trying to influence the duration of a prison recall for the same offender because of their relationship with them.

After reviewing our report, West Mercia Police agreed with our findings and arranged disciplinary proceedings.

At the gross misconduct hearing, the offender management co-ordinator was found guilty of gross misconduct. They had resigned during the course of our investigation and chose not to attend or be represented at the hearing. The sanction was that, had the offender management co-ordinator still been a staff member, they would have been dismissed with immediate effect. They will be placed on the barred list, as per College of Policing guidelines.