Two managers found guilty of gross misconduct following the swapping of vulnerable inmates between Wandsworth and Pentonville prisons have kept their jobs.

Despite two Wandsworth prisoners trying to commit suicide following the “deplorable” move, one manager was given a final written warning, while another was given “advice and guidance”.

Prison unions said the penalties undermined the prison system, public confidence and prison officers. A prison charity said the problem of transferring prisoners was widespread.

Malcolm Lewis, head of resettlement at Wandsworth, was given a final written warning, which remains in force for two years, and has been barred from promotion for three years, for his part in the switching controversy.

Louise Spencer, deputy governor at Wandsworth, was given “advice and guidance”.

Five managers were investigated after a report by Dame Anne Owers, chief inspectors of prisons, found staff had tried to “subvert the inspection process” by swapping self-harming and vulnerable prisoners between the prisons.

Five Wandsworth inmates were moved to Pentonville for the duration of an inspection and six were moved in the opposite direction when she arrived with an inspection team at Pentonville.

Dame Anne's report said two Wandsworth prisoners had tried to kill themselves immediately after being transferred two days before an inspection.

Stewart McGloughlin, of the Prison Officers Association, Wandsworth Branch, said the penalties were a worry for both the public and prison officers.

He said: “The leniency of these award effectively endorses what took place, the people who did this have kept their jobs and there has been no real punishment.

“It is clearly a two-tier system. One of our members was sacked for taking days off to look after their kids and those involved in this case gets a written warning and another gets advice and guidance. These are the people running the jail.”

Wandsworth Prison had also previously been warned about the dangers of transferring distressed prisoners following the death of another inmate, Dame Anne said.

Adding the actions of those responsible were “deplorable” and accused them of a “dereliction of their duty of care”.

Ian Mulholland, the former governor of Wandsworth prison, was cleared of all charges, as was Nick Leader, former governor of Pentonville.

Two managers at Pentonville were given written warnings.

A spokesman at the Howard League for Penal Reform, a charity which seeking to reform the prison system, said: “The line coming out of the Prison Service is this is an isolated incident. But it is not . . . anecdotally, we hear it happens regularly.”