Bilal Skaf in Goulburn Jail, photographed with his mother during a visit. Parole officers needed her details to determine if she was an "appropriate person" and if she had children in her care as that may have contravened his Child Sex Offenders Registry requirements. Despite M's continual refusals and their own intelligence that indicated his wife was Ms Senior, authorities never deemed it enough to revoke his parole. One insider said the revelations are symptomatic of widespread issues within the parole industry, described as ineffective, inept and ill-equipped to supervise criminals. "The parole officers have no clue how to manage these guys – little to no training, no experience and some just don't care much," the insider said.

Convicted gang rapist ring leader Bilal Skaf - sentenced to a maxium of 55 years jail. M cannot be identified because he was 17 when he raped two girls in 2000, one a 13-year-old bound with tape and forced to have oral sex in a Greenacre park. The second assault of a 14-year-old on a train at Punchbowl was committed with one of nine males responsible for a series of gang rapes across Sydney in 2000 led by Bilal Skaf. A judge described the Skaf attacks as "worse than murder" and "what you hear or read about only in the context of wartime atrocities". M was described by a judge as having an exaggerated sense of entitlement and being highly likely to reoffend.

It's believed that M and a Skaf gang rapist, known as H, both participated in an intensive sex offenders' program led by Ms Senior in Parklea around 2010 to 2011. Ms Senior struck up a relationship while treating H, whose identity was also suppressed during the Skaf trials due to his mental and intellectual disabilities. She organised a special birthday party for him in prison, took on his surname, moved in with his mother and obtained a passport and false phone numbers with her new name and used it to visit H in prison 24 times without authorities realising she was an employee. In one call, the pair had phone sex and Ms Senior let H call her "a slut". The relationship with H, who is now 33 and on parole, ended in 2012, the same year she was suspended from Corrective Services and started a relationship with M.

She was struck off in 2015 by the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) for the "reprehensible" relationship with H. Forensic psychologist Luke Broomhall told a HCCC hearing in 2014 that H's use of "slut" demonstrated a power play to exert dominance over Ms Senior and objectify women. Given his history of rape, it would have significantly impaired his rehabilitation, he said. Ms Senior provided a statement to the hearing. In a fact only now revealed, she was married to M at the time. She told the HCCC she had been burnt out, exhausted and depressed and that prevented her from being aware of escalating "transference and countertransference" with H. "This has led to what I can only describe as being self-defeating and compromising behaviour, and that such actions on my part are completely out of character," she said.

Countertransference is the redirection of a therapist's feelings towards a client and is often a reaction to transference, a phenomenon in which the client redirects feelings for others onto the therapist. Forensic psychologist James Ogloff, who has written reports on similar cases, said they are not uncommon and usually snowball after an emotional connection is made. "In my supervision of people, I always say a psychologist's needs must never be met in the relationship. It is a one-sided relationship," he said. "That can change at a period of time when the psychologist is emotionally vulnerable. At times of stress, divorce, a bad relationship." He said prisoners often have manipulative personalities and the element of "forbidden attraction" usually plays a role. A Corrective Services spokeswoman declined to outline safeguards in place to detect inappropriate relationships.

"All CSNSW staff are required to abide by a strict code of conduct and must declare any association with an inmate or offender," she said. The spokeswoman confirmed that M's parole was never revoked for continual breaches and refusals to give information about his wife. In his parole notes, the Bankstown Community Corrections Office said his conduct was "unsatisfactory, characterised by non-compliance with reasonable directions" and "intentionally deceptive behaviour". In one instance, he brought his wife to a parole meeting but she refused to take her burqa off or say who she was. He came under police attention for several Child Protection Registry breaches.

He was detected speeding on the M5 at 1am in Ms Senior's car, which he had failed to list with police. He claimed he was driving at that time to attend a 24-hour donut outlet at the airport. Corrective Services said he was charged with a criminal offence in December 2013 and returned to prison until he was found not guilty in 2014 and released. His parole expires on Sunday. It's believed Ms Senior is not working and may be studying while raising children. After first telling Fairfax Media that she was not Joanne Senior, she declined repeated requests for comment. Do you know more? rolding@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Love knows no bars Professionals who have become involved with inmates One-punch killer Kieran Loveridge became involved in a relationship with a prison guard. Credit:Kate Geraghty Prison guard Jody Marson was sacked in 2015 for having an affair with Kieran Loveridge, who is serving time in Kempsey prison for the one-punch death of teenager Thomas Kelly in Kings Cross.

Prison psychologist Bobbie Bergmeier was struck off in 2014 for a sexual relationship with a convicted murderer, identified this week by Channel Seven as cop killer Murray Hearne. The pair have a baby.

A drug and alcohol worker at Long Bay jail fell in love with an inmate and lived with him once he was granted parole. She was sacked in 2014 after he threatened her for money and she called police.

Prison psychologist Peta Michelle Mead was struck off in 2007 after falling in love with a Supermax inmate during anger management classes and exchanging love letters outlining plans for "synchronised self-pleasuring".

Victorian prison psychologist Margaret Burton was murdered in 2013 by her boyfriend, a parolee she met in prison.