Action call as Staffordshire 'prison set to miss target'
A troubled prison is likely to miss a target for increasing the amount of black and Asian officers by the end of next year, experts have said.
Only six per cent of prison officers at Swinfen Hall near Lichfield are black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) compared to 40 per cent of the prison population.
The Prison Service wants to increase the number of BAME officers and has set jails a target of having 14 per cent by December 2020.
However, Swinfen Hall's Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said it was not likely to meet the target and criticised the fact recruitment and advertising for roles was not managed locally.
It follows concerns of BAME prisoners being treated unfairly at the Staffordshire jail, which houses 570 young offenders and adults under 25.
The IMB's latest report said higher rates of BAME inmates were being punished for their behaviour and put into segregation. The body highlighted the disparity between BAME officers and inmates as a major problem.
The report said: "It seems unlikely that Swinfen Hall will achieve the HMPPS (HM Prison and Probation Service) target of 14 per cent BAME officers by December 2020.
Confident
"The prison acknowledges the problem, but it has no control over image marketing, advertising, recruitment, or selection; this is a serious deficiency which needs to be effectively addressed through national policy."
Prison campaign group the Howard League for Penal Reform said concerns raised by the IMB should be taken seriously by prison bosses.
Chief executive Frances Crook said: “Thank goodness that there are volunteers willing to give up their time for no reward to scrutinise prisons such as Swinfen Hall.
“The Independent Monitoring Board has raised several concerning issues, and the prison must pay extra attention to ensure that unconscious bias and racism do not slip into the allocation of resources and jobs.”
A Prison Service spokeswoman said: "We take any allegations of inequality seriously and will not hesitate to take action where necessary.
"Enquiries have taken place at Swinfen Hall and we are confident that all inmates are treated professionally and fairly.
“The Government is investing £100 million to increase security in our jails, while the 4,500 additional staff we have employed are allowing us to provide more support to individual prisoners and tackle self-harm.”
