The Unaired Scenes: Systemic Racism and Disadvantage in the Prison
摘要
This chapter focuses on staff interactions with Black women and the systemic and organisational lack of understanding of Black culture and cultural needs in prison. The examples uncover overt and covert racism, and the lack of staff diversity creates an atmosphere of disadvantage, misrepresentation, and disillusionment. Black women become acutely aware of the differences between themselves and other ethnicities, particularly when looking at timescales for applications to be approved, access to goods and services, and opportunities for education, employment, and rehabilitation. Examples include applications and eligibility for Release on Temporary License (ROTL), open-prison transfers, complaint processes, room changes, and employment and educational opportunities. The final substantive section discusses Black History Month (BHM) at two prisons; whilst one reveals a lack of cultural awareness, the other demonstrates how BHM became disposable and could be easily retracted.