Former Jail Employee Pleads Not Guilty To Having Sex With Inmate

Former Essex County Correctional Facility employee Patricia Papa, 40, pleaded not guilty today in Salem Superior Court to a charge of sexual relations with an inmate by an officer or other employee of a penal or correctional institution.

Judge Kimberly S. Budd set bail at $500 cash, which had been previously agreed upon by the prosecutor and defense counsel, and ordered Papa to return to court on October 3 for a pre-trial conference.

The conduct is alleged to have occurred with a male inmate on divers dates between March 1 and March 28 of 2011, in Papa's office at the Correctional Alternative Center in Lawrence. Papa was the re-integration coordinator at that facility.

If convicted Papa faces a maximum sentence of five years in state prison.

The case will be prosecuted by Essex Assistant District Attorney Melissa Woodard. Papa is represented by Attorney Ted Cranney.

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