RESPECT - The Prison Service Minority Ethnic Staff Support Network
In 1998, while the enquiry into the tragic murder of Stephen Lawrence was taking place, the Prison Service commissioned external consultants to carry out a review of race relation’s perceptions in the Prison Service.
In August of that year, the consultants produced the MaST Focus Groups Report. The report painted a poor picture of race relations in the Prison Service and in part of its summary suggested “a comprehensive cultural change strategy to support the Prison Service’s vision and values for the future”.
Work on the strategy started immediately and at the Prison Service Conference in February 1999 the Director General of the Prison Service launched the ‘RESPOND Programme’ – Racial Equality for Staff & Prisoners.
The programme consists of five Strategies:
- Confronting racial harassment and discrimination.
- Ensuring fairness in recruitment, appraisal, promotion and selection.
- Developing and supporting minority ethnic staff.
- Ensuring equal opportunity for minority ethnic prisoners.
- Recruiting ethnic minority staff.
With the support and backing of the then Director General, Martin Narey, a small group of minority ethnic staff got together to form the beginnings of a minority ethnic staff support network. The group was made up of staff from Headquarters and Prison Establishments across the country. Their title was ‘The RESPOND Staff Advisory Group’.
The group brought together fifty members of minority ethnic staff to examine how to develop the network. The Advisory Group also received help from the more experienced National Black Police Association, the Radiographers Black Staff Network – MENSOR, the Fire Service Black Staff Network – BEAMM and the Association of Black Probation Officers.
With the full backing of the Prisons Service Management Board and the support of the other minority ethnic staff support networks, the Advisory Group set about launching local support groups at prisons across the country.
It was important for staff to realise that this initiative was being lead by staff while having the full support and backing of management. A great deal of time and effort went into insuring that this was the over-riding message.
In the 10 months following the decision to promote local support groups, a name for the network had been decided – ‘RESPECT’, its motto being ‘Eliminating Racism In The Workplace’. The membership criteria was determined; every member of staff could become a member of RESPECT. The RESPECT Constitution was written and accepted and the plans for the launch of RESPECT were also well underway.
At the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, on Wednesday 24 January 2001, the biggest event of its kind ever held by the Prison Service, took place - the launch of RESPECT, the Prison Service Minority Ethnic Staff Support Network, with an audience of 1,500 delegates.
Guest speakers included – Lord Herman Ouseley, the Rt. Hon. Paul Boateng, Beverly Thompson of NACRO, Colin Moses of the POA, Roger McKenzie representing Trade Union Support (PSTUS), Ravi Chand of the National Black Police Association, Shahid Malik of the Commission for Racial Equality, Tarique Ghaffur of the Metropolitan Police. Speaking for the Prisons Service Management Board was the then Director General Martin Narey and the recently appointed Prison Service Race Equality Advisor Judy Clements OBE. Speaking for RESPECT was the Chair, Paul Haughton.
The day was a landmark in Prison Service history. As well as being a very well organised and well-planned event, the message was sincere and forthright, “Racism will find no home in the Prison Service”.
At the first Annual National Conference, the first ever-elected National Executive Committee of RESPECT was introduced to the membership. In order to achieve this, each of the thirteen Prison Service Areas (there are now only twelve Prison Service Areas), plus one for Prison Service Headquarters, we created Area Support Groups each with an elected Area Committee.
On 2 April 2001 in Horseferry House in front of an audience of over 100 guests the RESPECT Support-Line was officially opened. Being managed entirely by trained volunteer staff and with no Prison Service management involvement in its day-to-day running, the RESPECT Support-Line is the first ever of its kind in the Civil Service. The RESPECT Support-Line is not exclusively for RESPECT members. It is there to support all Prison Service staff suffering racial harassment and racial discrimination.
The first Annual National Conference was held at the Emmanuel Centre, in Westminster, London on 26 September 2001. The second ANC was also held there on 25 September 2002.
In March of 2002 Prison Service history was make – the Prison Service Management Boards approved the RESPECT Core Time Submission and the 2002-2003 Business Plan.
We have been fortunate to have had the full backing of Martin Narey and the Prisons Service Management Board and a tremendous amount of support from the then Prison Service Race Equality Group members (now the Diversity & Equality Group) and their Head of Group, Judy Clements.
RESPECT now has an Official in all but a handful of our 143 prisons. When you consider that on 24 January 2001 when we went national, there were only nine active members, and now there are almost 3,000, I think this is a massive achievement.
Paul Haughton
Chair of RESPECT
