Baroness Scotland

Baroness Scotland, Minister of State for the Criminal Justice System and Law Reform: a speech at the Race Relations Awards - 22 November 2004

I would like to start by sharing a recent experience with you. Last week I chaired the Local Criminal Justice Board National Race Forum. The aim of the forum is to share and disseminate good practice right the way across Local Criminal Justice Boards' areas and to bring consistency across the system on race issues. Local Criminal Justice Boards have been at the frontline in driving forward the Criminal Justice Reform Programme. At last week's meeting, we received a really excellent presentation from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Criminal Justice Board, who shared with the group some of the projects they were undertaking to address racism and other forms of hate crime. I was struck by one particular project, which focused on consultation with black and minority ethnic offenders.

I would like to refer to the words of one particular offender interviewed by the project, and they refer to their experience of the Criminal Justice System, of which the Prison Service is an integral part. Asked if there was anything else he wished to add about the Criminal Justice System, he had this to say:

"It's great what you guys are trying to do. We really appreciate that people are trying to make a difference, but it will never change. It is coming from up there and it's all the way working down and it is instilled into other people, other people going along the lines. It will never change, it will never change. You could be born British, born in this country from whatever ethnic background, you will still not be treated as if you are a British citizen."

These are powerful, disheartening words and they remind us of the continuing need to remain vigilant to address the negative perception of the Criminal Justice System among offenders and local communities.

As a service, I know you are committed to looking after those held in our custody and to treat them with decency and humanity, to help them lead law abiding and useful lives both in custody and upon their release. Almost all prisoners will one day re-enter the community, and you can best protect the public by preparing prisoners for their release and so reduce the risk of re-offending. And it's our aim to build a safe, just and tolerant society, one in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced and the protection and security of the public are maintained.

The inclusion of the prison service within the wider organisation of the National Offender Management Service is an opportunity to achieve this vision and for the service to build on its already quite impressive achievements. It also presents, I think, an ideal opportunity for the service to better meet the needs and to enhance opportunities for black and minority ethnic prisoners. Offender management is all about recognising diversity; the success of the National Offender Management Service will be in individual case managers meeting the diverse needs of individual prisoners. Meeting race equality commitments will be a pre-requisite for providers as the National Offender Management System looks to increase contestability, and will help to ensure that we have systems in place that are fit for purpose.

It is safe to say that the prison service has changed. It has changed its approach and its management of race relations. It has not remained stagnant, and much has been done - much to address the problems it had, and those it continues to face. It is a sad fact that those on the outside looking in are not aware of the tremendous amount of work that the service has done in tackling racism, or of the personal commitment and achievements of individuals such as yourselves and the recipients of the awards presented today. The prison service of today is a service that rejects racist behaviour - not just because it will be punished, but because each person is valued as an equal and treated with humanity and dignity. It is a service that is working hard towards its vision of being seen as a beacon of good practice for other organisations, and I have no doubt whatsoever that that goal will be achieved.

I've talked about the past perception of the service and of its vision for the future, but what about the present? Because, after all, the work we are doing now is the foundation for what will follow. Initiatives are ongoing to meet or exceed the specific duties and requirements on employment set out in the Race Relations (Amendment) Act and to ensure that equality of opportunity is delivered in all aspects of employment. Black and minority ethnic staff grew from representing 3 per cent to 5.5 per cent of the overall workforce in the last five years. This significant rise has been achieved by making the employment target one of the service's key performance indicators and is reflected in local and area business plans. Employment targets will remain challenging for the prison service given the relatively low level of national recruitment.

Some of you may have recently seen the BBC documentary on Belmarsh prison. The documentary suggested that the service had lowered its' standards for entry, particularly in a bid to recruit more minority ethnic employees. I can categorically state that this is not the case. All new entrants are subject to the same eligibility criteria and minimum educational qualifications are no longer mandatory - many of you will of course know that. All candidates are expected to pass an entry test. Additionally the service, along with other public-sector organisations, has complied fully with all anti-discrimination legislation in order that no particular group of society is unfairly discriminated against, for example the removal of height restrictions for prison officer grades in 1993.

The past 12 months have been a challenging time for the service. Staff had to deal with the highest ever population, whilst at the same time ensuring that record numbers of prisoners gained qualifications, received drug treatment and left prison with work and a home to go to. I know from the visits I have made to various prisons that there is a very real new sense of accomplishment and 'a job well done' among prison officers. The results speak for themselves, and it is both empowering and encouraging to see your individual contribution make a difference to someone's life. This is at the very heart of the National Offender Management Service and also reflects government's ongoing commitment to reducing re-offending.

The prison service still has a huge amount of work to take forward in race relations and other diversity areas, and the challenges it faces in reaching its goal are really great. However, much progress has been made in promoting equality of opportunity. For example, the moves towards a multi-faith chaplaincy, the recognition of chaplains of all faiths and the appointment of a number of full-time imams is a significant and recent development and is fully in keeping with the wider Home Office faith agenda.

The growing number of foreign nationals in the prison population has meant that the service has had to address the specific needs of this increasingly diverse group of prisoners. Many foreign nationals are serving lengthy sentences for drug importation, offences that often carry long sentences and contribute to the disproportionate number of foreign national prisoners among the prison population. Many prisons from all over the estate now employ a designated foreign nationals liaison officer or a foreign nationals co-ordinator. Increasingly, prisons are signing up to the blue card telephone system that enables foreign nationals to make on average 50 per cent cheaper calls abroad. So prisons are translating local documents into the most frequently used foreign languages, particularly on regime and induction policies. A revised and much more comprehensive foreign nationals resource pack has just been issued across the estate, and I understand that the official launch is due to take place at Wormwood Scrubs in early December.

So the service continues to develop its staff support networks. Many of you may have attended the recent RESPECT Annual National Conference. The fourth such conference that sends out a clear message, RESPECT is very much here and here to stay. The service has also funded the development of GALIPS, the staff support network for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender members of staff. Now 264 members of staff have joined since the distribution of official membership forms in August 2004; this really is a most encouraging start.

I know that the Commission for Racial Equality formal investigation into race relations in the service is very much at the heart of the work being undertaken on race by the prison service. The joint Commission for Racial Equality and Prison Service action plan represents a milestone for race relations in the service. It specifically focuses on the key areas of work identified by the Commission for Racial Equality and will ensure that race equality becomes truly integral to all that the service does.

The partnership between the prison service and the Commission for Racial Equality is not a short-term fix. Indeed, they will be jointly managing the plan for the next five years in order to ensure that not only is racism eradicated but that the prison service fully achieves its vision. And I assure you that the prison service's commitment to race equality will not stop at mere compliance with the general duty of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000; I think it really will seek to achieve its goal of becoming a beacon of good practice.

It is essential for any organisation embarking on cultural change - because that's what it really is - to have at the helm a strong and committed leader. Martin Narey started the groundwork and I know that Phil Wheatley continues this and has publicly stated his deep personal commitment to making sure that the prison service is able to demonstrate excellent race relations in all its work. Some of you will have seen his recent letter in the Observer newspaper in which he said "The Prison Service takes all allegations of racism seriously and adopts zero tolerance of anybody who holds racist views. We have dismissed a number of staff for their actions and were the first public-sector employer to stop staff being members of racist organisations".

It is also encouraging that the Prison Officers Association under the leadership of Colin Moses has taken a firm stance against racism. This is the kind of partnership that will succeed in addressing and rooting out racism, and I applaud and commend that.

Now far from being complacent, governors continue to recognise some of the challenges they face and the issues of concern within their establishments and are increasingly requesting assistance. Beverley Thompson spoke earlier about the work of the delivery team in the Race and Equalities Action Group and the proactive approach the service is now taking. The service is far from complacent; it's not resting on its laurels or relying on its wonderfully written policies, it is taking a much more proactive stance. The delivery team, staffed by mainly operational grades, is a wonderful example of the way forward and helps ensure that headquarters and establishments are working together to deliver a shared vision. My personal vision is that policies sitting unused on the shelf will be binned and that we instead push the movement of cultural change

So strong and committed leadership from the top down is a pre-requisite for change, and race relations liaison officers and equal opportunities Officers play a crucial role in ensuring that the vision is embedded in practice. It's pleasing to see so many here today.

I know that if the Home Secretary had been here today he would have mentioned the Community Cohesion Race Equality Strategy, which is to be launched in January next year. The government is committed to eradicating racism and extremism, through a combination of a robust legislative framework and a strong programme across the criminal justice agencies to prevent and punish hate crime. I am really quite proud of this government's public commitment to root out racism and discrimination in public services and the work we are all doing to build public confidence. But this involves working with regional and local partners to change racist and extremist attitudes and challenge behaviour - building leadership, working with the media, working with young people and engaging communities. Nowhere is this more important to demonstrate than where there is an individual loss of liberty.

The government has introduced legislation to eradicate racism and outlaw discrimination on the grounds of race - and it is right that we have done so. However, passing the laws is really not enough. We have to change hearts and minds and influence attitudes and culture. Our challenge is to build a society and a prison service that rejects not only racist behaviour, but also any form of discrimination. Our collective challenge is, therefore, to eradicate racism, promote equality and respect diversity. It is a difficult challenge, but it is also our shared agenda. The prison service and the local communities it serves must each do their part to help further that agenda and bring about change, because I truly believe that working together can make that change become a reality.

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone for caring and being part of the service, solutions and plans for tomorrow. We can only achieve this through people. Ministers are paid to open their eyes and look at systems as a whole, and I have seen real change. The criminal justice system is now realising it is just that - a system. We must learn to be like the British relay team - recognise that we are a team and pass the baton seamlessly to each other, working together and not in silos.