Prison staff accused of racism
Staff at a rural jail where nearly half the inmates are from ethnic minorities have been accused of racist behaviour in an official report.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, said there was a lack of awareness about minority groups among officers and prisoners at Highpoint jail in Suffolk.
Some staff used “derogatory language” to describe prisoners’ race, nationality and mental health, the report said.
When questioned by inspectors some inmates claimed staff were racist, it added.
The report said inspectors saw many black and Asian inmates had an easy relationship with staff at the 800-inmate prison, but many prisoners described officers as “culturally unaware”.
Pressures on the jail had intensified because the number of inmates had expanded by a third since the end of 2004 but there had been no similar growth in work and education places at the jail, it added.
Only 54% of black and Asian prisoners said staff treated them with respect, compared with 81% of white prisoners surveyed by Ms Owers’ team.
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