Race Relations (Hansard, 17 May 1995)

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 9 May 1995]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr Doug Hoyle dated 17 May 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about race relations in the Prison Service. The Prison Service's race relations policy is set out in its policy statement on the subject, a copy of which is attached. This states that all prisoners should be treated impartially and without discrimination on grounds of colour, race and religion. Under the policy, which is mandatory, racially insulting, abusive or derogatory language towards prisoners is not tolerated. To check establishments are complying with race relations policy, the prison governors' standard business plan includes targets on race issues, for which governors are accountable to their area manager. Governors are also required to complete an annual race relations checklist. These checklist returns form the basis of an annual report on race relations to the Prisons Board. Additionally, annual reports of Boards of Visitors and reports of inspections by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons frequently cover race issues. No specific training for the purpose of checking compliance is given. However, some of those involved, for example, area managers and some Board of Visitors members, will have received general race relations training. Prison governors' contracts include a race relations element and race relations issues are addressed as part of the modular training course for middle managers, including governor grades. This is delivered by the Prison Service Colleges in conjunction with Leeds Metropolitan University. Governors recruited under the Accelerated Promotion Scheme receive race relations training both as part of initial officer training and on subsequent development courses. In 1993–94, the latest year for which figures are available, the number of prisons which could provide kosher and halal food were 119 and 117 respectively. At present, 39 prison race relations management teams have a membership which includes a representative from an outside racial equality organisation. Information on how many formal complaints on racial grounds have been received by the Prison Service from staff and from prisoners in each of the last five years is not available. However, analysis of the annual checklist returns shows that the number of recorded racial incidents, which includes complaints, is as follows:

	Staff	Prisoners
1990–91	0	22
1991–92	11	95
1992–93	20	121
1993–94	16	206
1994–95	¹—	¹—
¹Information not yet available.

With regard to foreign nationals, the Prison Service has produced a Foreign Prisoners' Resource Pack, which provides information and guidance for prison staff working with foreign nationals, and the prisoners themselves. The pack is available in 12 languages and topics include awareness of foreign prisoners' needs and concerns, the criminal justice system, immigration, customs and excise, embassies, interpreting and translating. There is also a Prisoners' Information Pack which is available in 14 languages. In addition the Prison Service has given support for the Nuffield Interpreters Project to encourage accredited interpreters; and has introduced the language line telephone interpreting service into all prisons. 294W Prison Service race relations policy statement

1. The Prison Service is committed absolutely to a policy of racial equality and to the elimination of discrimination in all aspects of the work of the Prison Service. It is opposed also to any display of racial prejudice, either by word or conduct by any member of the Service in his or her dealings with any other person.
2. All prisoners should be treated with humanity and respect. All prisoners should be treated impartially and without discrimination on grounds of colour, race and religion. Insulting, abusive and derogatory language towards prisoners will not be tolerated.
3. Race relations concerns every member of the Prison Service. It is the responsibility of every member of staff to ensure that the Department's policy is carried out in relation to other members of staff as well as prisoners.
4. Members of minority religious groups have the same right to practise their faith as those of the majority faith. Wherever feasible in prison circumstances arrangements are made to give them the same practical opportunity to do so.
5. All inmates should have equal access to the facilities provided in the establishment including jobs. The distribution of inmates throughout the establishment and its facilities should as far as practicable and sensible be broadly responsive to the ethnic mix of the establishment.
6. No particular racial group should be allowed to dominate any activity in the establishment to the unfair exclusion of others.