Prison guards now face two years behind bars, if they have sex with inmates.

New laws have passed state parliament, banning prison officers from being intimate with offenders.

The tougher penalties come after Ray Hadley exposed an embarrassing number of female officers having sexual relationships with inmates.

Corrections Minister David Elliott staked his job on fixing the saga, and new laws have now passed.

Mr Elliott tells Ben Fordham it appears there’s been “a blind eye” turned this behaviour for decades, but not any longer.

“[Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Peter Severin] and I and every previous commissioner and minister is to blame for this,” he says.

“We weren’t the first commissioners and ministers that have had this occur under their watch.

“But I tell you what, once I found out that it occurred, once it was clear to me it was more than gossip, I made a point of making sure they knew that anybody who’s caught from this point on will find themselves in jail.”

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