Female warders assigned to male prisons have been rumoured to be putting their jobs on the line by selling pricey sex to inmates.

While this claim has been dismissed by the head of the Department of Correctional Services, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Prendergast, at least two sources have told THE WEEKEND STAR otherwise.

One of the sources said prisoners, from time to time, would fork out big bucks to the warders so that they can have sex with them.

The source, who said that she used to receive random telephone calls from a prisoner, said: "Obviously, this is a hush, hush issue, but I know of a schoolmate who got sentence sometime ago and I don't know how he got my number because he used to call me from prison and talk for up to half-an-hour sometimes. Him (the prisoner), use to tell me that the warders use to sell sex, but it was very expensive because the warders tell dem dat they could lose their job over it."

The source continued: "Warders get pay like all $10,000 depending what kind of sex dem want. Di prisoner said dat him pay a warder for him to have sex wid his babymother during visiting time".

Another source while confirming that he was aware of the warders selling sex as well, also accused the warders of introducing contraband into the lock-ups.

"Prisoners have phones, dem have money and once you have money, trust me, they can get what they want in lock-up. Mi use to say some of dem tings a lie, but mi get to understand dat once dem plan up and all create certain distractions in di lock-up, then all kind a tings can happen," he added.

A former inmate of the Horizon Adult Remand Centre said while he was in custody some prisoners who could afford it were allowed 'super-visits'. "From you have yuh money anything is possible. When mi did a do my time, di general dem wid money did get a chance to carry in dem girl or di warders get woman fi dem."

Colonel Prendergast admitted there are female warders in male prisons, but says he is not aware of them selling sex to inmates. He said such a situation has never been brought to his attention - at least not since he has been assigned to the post.

"It is no secret that a problem we are grappling with is that both female and male warders have been in trouble for introducing contraband in the lock-ups. As we get the evidence, we would normally submit such cases to the Services Commission," he said. "We have had a number of officers (warders) dismissed. Once they are caught, it is brought to the attention of the police and then the matter would be put before the courts."