By The Criminal Justice Alliance

This study seeks to expand on the limited evidence published to date on the experiences of Black, Asian and minority ethnic women prisoners3 (Buncy and Ahmed, 2014; Cox and Sacks-Jones, 2017; Prison Reform Trust, 2017). It aims to better understand and amplify the diverse experiences of Black, Asian and minority ethnic prisoners, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people, as well as foreign nationals, across the women’s prison estate in England. This report recognises that the survey respondents are not a homogenous group. They encompass various identities and ethnicities, resulting in a range of lived experiences, both between and within groups. The discrimination experienced by Black, Asian and minority ethnic prisoners held in women’s establishments is multi-layered, with intersectional identities: ethnicity, race, religion, social class, sexual orientation, nationality and gender. Intersectionality recognises that, as individuals are made up of several identities, they may experience multiple interwoven prejudices. For example, women may experience gendered discrimination, and women from minoritised communities could simultaneously face additional forms of discrimination. The findings in this report were gathered by interviewing and surveying individuals within the project’s scope. It presents their perception of (un)fair treatment and the extent to which the prison meets their cultural needs. It provides further detail on incidents of discrimination and the establishment’s response. It addresses the language barriers faced by those whose first language is not English. It also provides examples of positive practice and suggestions for future activities that raise awareness of cultural practices and celebrate religious traditions.

London: The Criminal Justice Alliance, 2022. 84p.

By Amal Ali and Hannah Pittaway

This ground-breaking project centres on the lived experiences of Black, Asian and minority ethnic women in prison, and comes at a time when there is increased attention on race and gender inequality in the criminal justice system, but the combination of these issues rarely receives any government attention. We received over 300 survey responses from women in prison, prison staff and IMBs, improving our understanding of the double disadvantage that women from minority ethnic backgrounds face. We are very grateful to the women with lived experience who co-designed the survey and all those in custody for their honesty and openness when completing it. Their accounts of direct and indirect racism and poor treatment are shocking and distressing. Even more upsetting is their sense of fatalism - they see it as part of their everyday lives. The women lack confidence in the complaints system, do not trust that they will be treated fairly and are often unaware of how the IMB can help. The impact of the pandemic has made this worse. There is an urgent need to address these issues nationally and locally. IMBs play an important role given their day-to-day presence in prisons. Community scrutiny is a vital tool to hold criminal justice agencies to account. The CJA has focused on improving community scrutiny for several years looking at police powers, police custody and now prison custody. We consistently see the same themes: the need for better and more consistent data collection and analysis, more effective equalities training and support, and for community volunteers to be more representative of the populations in the criminal justice system. The recommendations in these reports map out sensible steps Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and IMBs can take to make positive change and I hope to see them being implemented with haste.  

London: Criminal Justice Alliance, 2022. 38p.