Prison staff accused of racism

The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, said there was a lack of awareness about minority groups among officers and prisoners at Highpoint jail in Suffolk.

Some staff used "derogatory language" to describe prisoners' race, nationality and mental health, the report said.

When questioned by inspectors some inmates claimed staff were racist, it added.

The report said inspectors saw many black and Asian inmates had an easy relationship with staff at the 800-inmate prison, but many prisoners described officers as "culturally unaware".

Pressures on the jail had intensified because the number of inmates had expanded by a third since the end of 2004 but there had been no similar growth in work and education places at the jail, it added.

Only 54% of black and Asian prisoners said staff treated them with respect, compared with 81% of white prisoners surveyed by Ms Owers' team.

Among Muslims the figures were even worse, with only 44% saying they were treated respectfully and one in five saying they felt unsafe.

The report added: "Prisoners accepted that there was no general hostility from staff and recognised that some were helpful and approachable but also said some acted like bullies."

The document also highlighted "serious problems" with drugs at Highpoint, a category C jail which began life in 1938 as an RAF base. One in four inmates said it was easy to get hold of drugs.