Overview

• Olivia Johnson received a three-and-a-half year prison sentence after admitting she smuggled spice-laced paper worth £35,200 into HMP Highpoint
• A September 2022 spot check uncovered 88 sheets of paper impregnated with synthetic cannabinoids, each valued at roughly £400
• Investigators found that Johnson had an emotionally dependent relationship with inmate Javelle Taylor and accepted nearly £14,900 in payments from his associates
• Recorder Richard Christie KC said her actions struck at the integrity of the justice system and undermined prison order, safety and rehabilitation
• The case adds to a record surge in staff-inmate misconduct, with an unprecedented number of female officers dismissed or jailed for illicit relationships and contraband smuggling