Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken to help prevent racial discrimination in prisons in England.

Our response to the HMI Prisons thematic on the experiences of adult black staff and black prisoners recently set out our ambition to take a zero-tolerance approach to racism and discrimination. This is a long-term commitment to change the culture of HMPPS for the better, with a plan focussed on actions and underpinned by clear accountability.

Our approach includes short, medium, and long-term actions to ensure there is equal opportunity and equal outcomes for all staff and people in custody. This will include reviewing the impact of use of force, developing a nationwide reverse mentoring programme, creating more targeted recruitment campaigns and continuing to work closely with third sector partners, trade unions and our staff networks, such as RISE, which focuses on black and other underrepresented staffing groups.

Routinely, prisons are responsible for identifying and tackling disproportionality locally. This is done via diversity and inclusion forums where racial issues are raised, discussed, and solutions actioned. In addition, the HMPPS Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU) began work in August 2020 in order to change workplace behaviours (focussing on staff on staff behaviour) for the better, by providing additional support to managers investigating concerns and ensuring that investigations are carried out fairly and consistently and any unacceptable behaviour is challenged and dealt with appropriately.