'White prison guards used racial slurs against black inmates'

White prison guards used ‘racial slurs’ against black inmates, Chief Inspector of Prison’s report finds, as it recommends wardens and prisoners eat together to reduce tensions

• White prisoners have been accused of using racial slurs against black inmates 
• Black prison staff hears racial insults being hurled at prisoners, report reveals 
• These included the N-word, ‘black c***’ and ‘darkie’, HM Prisons Inspector found
• The same report suggested inmates and wardens eat together to ease tensions 

Black prison officers have accused white colleagues of using range of racial slurs against inmates, a watchdog reveals today.

A report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, discloses how black prison staff described how they had heard offensive racist terms being used against black inmates.

The unacceptable racist language alleged to have been deployed by white officers against black inmates included the N-word, ‘black c***’ and ‘darkie’, the report said.

‘One black prisoner said that he used to see officers wearing badges of organisations such as the National Front and British National Party,’ it went on.

Black prison officers have accused white colleagues of using range of racial slurs against inmates, a watchdog reveals today.

‘An experienced white senior manager told us that at the start of his career in the 1990s he had seen an officer openly wearing a KKK badge and had questioned his own place in the organisation as a result.’ 

The report into the experiences of black prisoners found evidence they were on the receiving end of ‘more derogatory terms than those used for white prisoners’.

‘While inspectors found evidence of some overt and explicit racism, both black prisoners and staff told us that subtle and insidious racism affected them more and that this was widespread and persistent,’ it said.

‘Most white prison staff we spoke to did not recognise these findings and did not accept them.

‘Many were adamant that they went out of their way to treat all prisoners fairly, and felt confused and frustrated that this went unrecognised.’ Mr Taylor made a number of proposals to improve race relations behind bars, and said they could have a huge effect ‘if the prison service is prepared to take them seriously’.

The report into the experiences of black prisoners found evidence they were on the receiving end of ‘more derogatory terms than those used for white prisoners’

One recommendation was for prisoners and jail wardens to ‘cook and eat together’, noting that it was an ‘an apparently simple activity that has deep cultural relevance and meaning’.

Senior prison staff have recommended that the move to start immediately amid concerns of deep-rooted mistrust between black prisoners and predominately white guards.

The watchdog’s report found the lack of common ground between prisoners and guards is widely seen as contributory factor in the use of excessive force against black prisoners, The Guardian reports.

The report stated: ‘Specific food preparation can reinforce confidence, pride and enjoyment in cultural identity. It is a point of connection with other people and has a deep emotional significance.

‘Some senior managers thought that they could start to explore this suggestion immediately because they had enough space and cooking facilities in their establishments,’ the report said.

‘Staff stressed the need for proper investment in equipment and health and safety assessment.’

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