AUSTRALIA - Children conceived in Queensland jails

OFF THE WIRE
WHILE most singles go to bars to find the perfect mate, some are going behind bars to find inmates. Corrective Services figures show jail relationships are flourishing despite or perhaps because of the barriers, taboos and potential consequences.
And love-struck jail staff, including psychologists, are often among the main offenders.
In the past 18 months alone, 15 prison workers have been investigated over allegations they have struck up illicit relationships with inmates.
Of these cases, several of the staffers have resigned with their careers in tatters.
Four prisoners, including a man convicted of attempted murder, have taken the ultimate step and married in jail ceremonies in the past five years.
There have also been at least two known cases of prisoners having children while serving time, dubbed "immaculate conceptions'' because conjugal visits are banned in Queensland.
One female inmate fell pregnant in 2009 after a secret liaison with her boyfriend.
Killer and rapist Bevan Meninga also fathered a child while behind bars while having an affair with prison guard Tracy Billinghurst.
Even the state's most notorious prisoner, armed robber Brenden Abbott, is pursuing a relationship as he approaches his 50th birthday this year, The Sunday Mail has been told.
Abbott embarrassed the State Government when he escaped from the Sir David Longland jail in 1997.
And he is not due for release until 2020, when he then faces further interstate charges.
He's likely to be an old man when he is eventually released.
But that hasn't stopped him forming a close bond with an interstate visitor who lobbies on his behalf, a jail source said.
So in the case of prison staff especially, what leads highly educated professionals to put everything on the line for affairs which have questionable futures?
For one psychologist who was banned from practice after starting a relationship with a prisoner she had treated, it's down to the powerful forces of physical attraction.
"Some are really attractive,'' she says.
"They've got great social standing in the prison, they're well-respected and well-regarded. They can be sexy pieces of work really and a lot of fun.
"They respect women and they're very romantic. They like to woo.''
She adds: "Why does a receptionist end up dating a lawyer? You put any two individuals together and sometimes they just click.
"When you find someone physically attractive that doesn't go away. It's up to the professional to control that.''
The psychologist asked for her identity to be withheld after being contacted by The Sunday Mail at her Queensland home. She is only now reviving her career.
Since her headline-grabbing affair, the prisoner she fell for has been in and out of custody.
"We still love each other,'' she says.
As she found out, the repercussions can be significant. Relationships between staff and prisoners are banned for some important reasons, not least being the security of jails.
In the case of psychologists, the profession also strictly prohibits relationships with patients to protect the vulnerable.
In the vast majority of cases of inappropriate relationships, it is women workers falling for male prisoners.
In 2010 it was revealed that of the 14 prison staff who had resigned over affairs in the previous three years, 12 were women.
Social networking sites such as Facebook have also opened up a new avenue for prisoners to strike up relationships.
While inmates are banned from accessing the internet, they routinely bypass this by having friends on the outside update Facebook pages on their behalf.
Their posts make it clear the kinds of correspondence they'd prefer to receive to help overcome boredom and pass the time.
"All sexy women sent letters and photos to us,'' said a page dedicated to Lone Wolf bikie Aaron Scheers, who cut off a man's ears over a soured drug deal.
Friends were also looking out for Finks bikie Shane Bowden, jailed for a shooting in the "ballroom blitz'' brawl at a Gold Coast kickboxing event.
"If any sexy girls see this comment send my brother a letter and sexy pictures to Woodford correction centre,'' one wrote on MySpace.
A female friend replied: "One of the nicest guys you'll meet ... all you hot bitches drop him a line and say g'day!''
Jailed bikie Dion Spizzirri's Facebook page said: "Anyone want a penpal, wanna write to Dion, he's bored and wants a penpal, must be single and sexy.''
Of the four weddings in the past five years, three were held in the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre and one in Woodford Correctional Centre. Corrective Services won't reveal their names, but inmates were serving time for offences including armed robbery and attempted murder.
Most of us seek mates for life, but some have mates who are lifers.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/children-conceived-in-our-jails/story-e6freoof-1226244558638