A former prison psychologist has been reprimanded for professional misconduct after her flirtatious conversations with a maximum security inmate emerged.
Details of Melanya Polata’s conduct with an inmate at an unmarked Queensland prison were revealed in a judgment handed down by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) on Tuesday.
QCAT deputy chairwoman Judge Geraldine Dann said Ms Polata’s comments to the inmate “fell far short” of how a psychologist should behave with a female inmate, in the referral action brought by the Psychology Board of Australia.
The psychologist had told the inmate she “really missed talking to him” after she was banned from speaking to him, and received dozens of phone calls from the man after he stopped working at the prison.
He also lied to his supervisor about visiting the inmate despite the ban.
Ms. Polata worked at the prison for almost eight months in 2019.
Judge Dann said Ms Polata needed to “focus carefully on ethical guidelines for practice if she resumed her practice as a psychologist”.
Ms Polata was also found to have treated unprofessionally the inmate who had made “sexual advances” and called her “beautiful,” according to the decision.
Melanya Polata was found to have behaved inappropriately towards an inmate she met, wrote a letter to and called numerous times against the wishes of a superior.
Ms. Polata’s supervisor banned her from seeing the inmate.
The inmate’s medical history included self-harm, suicide attempts, violent and aggressive behavior, domestic and family violence, problematic substance abuse and personality disorders, the decision said.
Ms Polata had been asked to stop associating with the inmate because he was becoming obsessed with her.
“(The inmate) had been requesting visits only from (Ms. Polata) and had demonstrated coercive and manipulative behavior in the past,” the decision detailed.
However, Ms Polata paid a visit to the inmate shortly after the ban, which was apparently reported by a colleague.
When questioned by her boss, Ms Polata said she had not had any contact with the inmate.
Three days later he admitted having seen the inmate.
Ms Polata resigned from her position as an interim psychologist for Queensland Corrective Services at the prison just a day later.
The inmate called Ms Polata on her mobile 49 times between March and June 2020 using a prison phone, on which calls are recorded.
In one call, the inmate told Ms. Polata that he loved their friendship, saying, “I love our friendship”; “I haven’t stopped thinking about you”; and “I miss you.”
He told her he had been self-harming and called her “beautiful” repeatedly.
In response, Ms. Polata said she missed him too and invited him to call her whenever he needed to.
She told the inmate, ‘I told you I was going to be in your life forever’; ‘you know I’m married’; ‘even like, like, like the best friend I can be, I told you I’m there for you and I always will be’; ‘we have a really good connection.’
She said she would really miss talking to him and told him she would pick him up from prison when he was released.
Ms. Polata told the inmate that she would remain in his life forever, despite their marriage, even as his closest friend.
Ms Polata had been warned to stay away from the inmate who reportedly had a violent past and had previously displayed coercive behaviour.
During a search of the cell it was discovered that the inmate had kept a letter from Ms Polata during his period of employment at the prison.
“I need you to understand that the upper management of this place has restricted me from having any contact with you and over the past week, I have had a lot of trouble trying to justify to them why I spent time with you in the first place…” she had written.
‘I know I said I would help you deal with many of these problems, and I promise I will.
“It’s not going to be like that. You have so much love and support around you. You are blessed. Don’t take them for granted.
“I will never turn you down. I would never say no to someone who came to me and wanted to not only get help, but to be a part of my life. And I promise you that.”
The judge found no evidence of sexual relations between the couple.
Ms Polata received a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences with honours from Central Queensland University before working with correctional services.
Her conduct was referred to QCAT after the Psychology Board of Australia suspended her registration in May 2020, after which she agreed not to practise psychology.
His registration expired in November 2020, after the Board rejected his application.
The court ruled on Tuesday that Ms Polata had behaved in a manner that constituted professional misconduct and reprimanded the former psychologist.
Judge Dann said Ms Polata “now accepts” the allegations made in the disciplinary action brought by the Board, after initially “downplaying” her conduct.
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