NCJ Number
152565
Date Published
1994
Length
77 pages
Annotation
This report investigated whether there was evidence of underreporting of racial incidents in British prisons, either by inmates or by correctional officials, according to their self- reports.
Abstract
The methodology of the report was to examine the number and range of racially motivated incidents, examine factors that affect the number of officially reported incidents, and develop suitable instruments for monitoring the state of race relations the level of racial incidents in establishments. A total of 501 inmates (373 ethnic minorities and 128 whites) and 106 prison officers housed or based in eight penal establishments were interviewed. The typology of incidents used here includes inmate-inmate incidents, staff-inmate incidents, and incidents of unfairness regarding access to facilities and activities. The results are discussed in terms of types of inmate-inmate and staff-inmate racial incidents, types of facilities where racial discrimination was most likely to occur, prison officers as witnesses and victims of racial incidents, relations in general in these prisons, responses to incidents and explanations for underreporting and underrecording, and implementation issues. 9 figures, 5 tables, 36 notes, 3 appendixes and 14 references