State police said this week they have arrested a Garner Correctional Institution correction officer, charging her with making a false statement and with two counts of bringing unauthorized items into a prison, in connection with her alleged romantic relationship with a male inmate at the high-security facility at 50 Nunnawauk Road. All three charges are Class A misdemeanors.

State police said they arrested Jennie L. Reese, 31, of Oxford, on July 23. Reese voluntarily surrendered to state police after learning that they held a warrant for her arrest. The Western District Major Crime Squad investigated the case.

State Department of Correction (DOC) spokesman Andrius Banevicius said July 25 that Reese, who had been on her DOC probationary work period because she was a recent hire, was terminated by the DOC on July 24 due to her arrest on criminal charges. Ms Reese was hired by DOC on December 7, 2018, Mr Banevicius said.

In the arrest warrant application, State Police Detective Edmund Vayan states that at 8:14 pm on July 16, two troopers were sent to Garner to investigate a report of a “sexual assault” between a correction officer and an inmate. A male inmate at the prison then told state police that there had been sexual contact between himself and Reese, and the inmate provided a sworn statement to state police on the matter.

According to that unidentified inmate’s statement, starting in April, Reese had taken a personal interest in him and would start casual conversations with him. The inmate claimed that Reese told him that she wanted to have a long-term relationship with him after he got out of prison, according to the arrest warrant. The inmate also claimed that he exchanged love letters with Reese.

The prisoner claimed that Reese had shown him a nude photo of herself on a cellphone. He also claimed the two had sexual contact with each other in a recreation room at the prison. Also, the inmate alleged that Reese did various favors for him, such as bringing him food and providing him with colored pens, as well as promising to give him a gold chain, according to the arrest paperwork. The interaction between two ended on June 20, when Reese was transferred to work in another cellblock at the prison.

Mr Banevicius said that correction officers are prohibited from having cellphones in the prison. The exchange of letters between inmates and correction officers also is prohibited, according to the arrest warrant.

On July 17, state police received information from the male inmate that would be used in seeking to find prison surveillance video to corroborate the pair’s alleged sexual interaction in the prison recreation room.

State police also interviewed the male inmate’s cellmate, who told them that the inmate and Reese had been flirtatious with each other and had told him that they wanted to have sexual relations. The cellmate allegedly arranged for letter exchanges between the two people.

On July 18 and 19, state police seized as evidence letters that had been written by Reese and by the male inmate. Reese eventually admitted that she had written letters to the inmate and acknowledged that it was wrong for her to do so.

In an interview with state police, Reese denied having had any sexual contact with any Garner inmate during her time at the prison. She also denied bringing a cellphone into the prison.

After arrest processing, Reese was released on $1,000 non-surety bail. Reese is scheduled for arraignment on the charges on August 6 in Connecticut Superior Court in Danbury.