Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has defended using day-release prisoners to paint her home in Redditch, claiming they "didn't have anything else on".
The former Labour MP admitted that two inmates from HMP Hewell in Redditch did some decorating at her luxury property in the Worcestershire town.
A Prison Service spokesman said the offenders were supposed to be doing work to "help the whole community" as part of a scheme run by a local charity, the Batchley Support Group.
He said: "The decision to provide prisoners for this work was taken without consultation with HMP Hewell or the Ministry of Justice and was a mistake.
"Offenders should work on projects which help the whole community.
"The scheme has been suspended while a full internal investigation is undertaken."
Speaking on the LBC 97.3 morning show, Ms Smith said she wanted "to set the record a little bit straight" and accused The Sun, which ran the story on its front page, of "having a go at me".
She said: "You may or may not have seen the front of The Sun but they are having a bit of a go at me today because two prisoners who were coming towards the end of their sentence and doing work experience carried out about three hours' work at my house doing a bit of decorating.
"It hadn't been cleared with the prison authorities in advance and they've now launched an inquiry and The Sun is having a go at me.
"Well, just to set, I hope, the record a little bit straight, these are guys that were working with a local community organisation in Redditch, a community organisation that actually gives work experience opportunities to prisoners as they come towards the end of their sentence."
