Prison Officer Having Sexual Relationships with Inmates in NSW Prison Laws

Caleb Valeri, who is more commonly known as ‘Hoodrich Hefner’, has detailed his relationship with a former prison officer at Silverwater Correctional Centre.

Valeri is an upcoming Australian rapper and a Rebels bikie associate, who released videos of freestyles, filmed inside a correctional centre.

Valeri, who is now 24-years-old, met Melissa Goodwin, 27, after being transferred to the Silverwater Correctional Complex.

He was in prison as a result of breaching bail following being charged with domestic violence offences relating to an assault on a male relative.

After their relationship formed whilst Valeri was in custody, the pair continued their relationship on the ‘outside’ before Goodwin was stood down by Corrective Services NSW over a separate relationship with another prisoner, Corey London.

In explaining the relationship on ‘The Search’ podcast, Valeri noted that he felt an instant connection with Goodwin.

“The first thing that stood out to me was that she came over by herself. Usually, correctional officers walk around in two or three pairs,” he explained.

“It just started. I knew from the jump. I’ll be honest. I’m not even trying to sound cocky. The first conversation we had; I knew that I bagged her.”

After discussing their flirtations with his cellmates, he spoke to them about writing a letter for her.

He ended up writing the letter, letting her know that he had hidden the note in a shaving tube left in a jail storeroom.

Within half an hour, Goodwin had responded with a lengthy note.

After communicating through written notes for weeks, Goodwin helped Valeri obtain a ‘sweeper’ job.

This involved him helping around the jail and enabled the pair to spend more time together.

From there, the relationship was said to progress to them “planning a future” together, with Valeri also insinuating that they were physically intimate whilst he was an inmate.

After Valeri was released, the couple lived together at her family home in Sydney’s southwest.

Only a few days after his release, Goodwin was arrested for sexual misconduct with an inmate.

However, these charges were laid as a result of another relationship Goodwin had also been engaging in.

The prisoner was identified as then 21-year-old Corey London, who had been convicted of armed robbery and was serving six years in prison.

Goodwin was accused of performing oral sex on London, on up to five occasions during work.

However, these charges were later dropped with Goodwin pleading guilty to being in a relationship with an inmate. She characterised their relationship as a ‘pen pal’ romance.

A part of the investigation that led to Goodwin being charged, was a recorded telephone call from London to his mother, once he discovered she was also dating Valeri.

In the call, London was enraged at the news that Goodwin was being investigated for being in a relationship with Valeri, calling her derogatory names and a “little dog.”

London’s mother is recorded telling him that: “at the end of the day she’s a f—en screw,” and that she “was probably seeing like 10 of yas.”

Valeri said he also felt hurt when these claims were exposed, joking: “That’s how I felt. New boyfriend every wing.”

It has been reported that London now has to be kept separate from Rebels bikie associates and was put into protective custody for a period.

Valeri has been linked to the gang, with evident tension caused over the ‘love triangle’.

It was also alleged Goodwin smuggled tobacco, lighters and chewing gum in for London.

She was convicted and sentenced to 100 hours of community service, as a result of the relationship.

Prison Officers Having Sexual Relationships with Inmates in NSW Prisons

As per section 236Q of the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 (Cth), it is an offence for a correctional employee to engage in sexual conduct or an intimate relationship with an inmate or a person who is subject to a community-based order.

The legislation outlines that the relationship will be an offence where:

• it causes a risk or potential risk to the safety or security of a correctional centre or complex, or good order and discipline within a correctional centre or complex, or
• compromises the proper administration of a sentence or a community-based order.

A community-based order is defined as a parole order, a Community Correction Order, an intensive correction order, a Conditional Release Order, or a re-integration home detention order.

An ‘intimate relationship’ is also defined by the Act to involve a relationship between 2 or more persons involving sexual conduct or other physical expressions of affection, or the exchange of written or other communications of a sexual or intimate nature.

A maximum penalty of a $2,200 fine and/or 2 years imprisonment is applicable.

It will not be an offence where the correctional employee did not know that the other person was an inmate or subject to the order, whilst the intimate relationship or sexual conduct occurred.

The law was introduced by the state government in November 2018, due to concerns regarding Corrective Services NSW staff engaging in inappropriate relationships with offenders.

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