Black and Asian inmates 'treated unfairly' at Staffordshire prison, report claims

Higher rates of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) inmates at Swinfen Hall near Lichfield are being punished for their behaviour and put into segregation, assessors have claimed.

It is one of a number of concerns raised by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at the prison, which houses young offenders and adults aged up to 25.

The board raised concerns about "the humane treatment of prisoners", amid claims of "deficiencies in care" for inmates who self-harm and those who "choose to self-isolate", while it also criticised "the absence of healthcare professionals" from some prisoner reviews.

Assaults on staff more than doubled from 29 in 2017/18 to 59 in 2018/19.

The report comes just weeks after a prison officer was stabbed at Swinfen Hall, which has 570 inmates.

The IMB was also alarmed by the number of doors and gates being left unlocked at the jail. There were 75 incidents during the 12-month period, including one where "a prisoner was able to move freely in the wing all night, undetected by CCTV or otherwise until roll call the following morning".

Highlighting concerns about the treatment of BAME prisoners, the board revealed there were higher rates of adjudication charges, when action taken against prisoners for bad behaviour, lower rates of employment within the prison and higher rates of confinement in the segregation unit.

Fewer BAME prisoners were awarded earned privileges, the report added.

Figures showed there were 918 charges laid against white prisoners and 797 against BAME. As there are 141 more white inmates it meant it was 1.45 times more likely action was taken against a BAME prisoner.

Assessors also said the disparity between BAME inmates and officers was "striking". BAME prisoners make up 40 per cent of the prison population, while only six per cent of officers are BAME.

The IMB said it had seen progress in some areas, including performance in English and maths.

Stella Bridle, IMB chair for Swinfen Hall, said: “It is disappointing that several major issues raised by the IMB last year have not been addressed. We urge the minister, the Prison Service, and the governor to take our concerns seriously, and to act upon them.

“That said, we recognise that there have been some improvements. We are pleased to note that there have been positive changes in regime restrictions, so that prisoners have more time to socialise or exercise and attend education and workshops.

She added: “We appreciate that the Prison Service, like all public services, operates within a framework of constraints. Swinfen Hall is no different.

"But it is within all our interests to do all we can to ensure that prisoners benefit from whatever rehabilitation is on offer to reduce the risk of re-offending when they have served their sentences.”

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.”