Racist white prisoners formed an open network at Parc

The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) report into privately-run Parc Prison, near Bridgend, found that both staff and inmates were subjected to racist abuse, which was allowed to continue unchecked.

The investigation, which was triggered by a racist murder at Feltham Young Offenders Institution in March 2000, focused on Parc, which is run by Securicor for HM Prison Service. It also looked at Feltham and Brixton jail, in London.

The CRE report, which examined events between 1991 and 2000, catalogues 14 areas of failure across the three institutions.

It says an action plan has since been put into place by the Prison Service.

Parc Prison said in a statement that since the time investigators were in the prison, conditions had improved and it was committed to positive race relations.

This organised network gave them greater confidence to act Chris Myant, CRE Wales

At Parc, the CRE found that racist inmates had organised themselves within the prison, a jail for 900 Category B adult prisoners and young offenders.

The report said: "A (black) prisoner had racist hate mail pushed under his door.

"The material consisted of Hitler pictures and newspaper cuttings about racist incidents."

Racist abuse and the words 'RVS (Rhondda Valley Skins)', referring to an organised group of racist inmates, were written on the cuttings.

Also, mail sent by prisoners carried graffiti for racist groups, it said.

Racial abuse was also shouted at black prisoners as they walked around different blocks at Parc, an �82m institution which became Wales' newest prison when it opened in November 1997.

The report added: "There was often little sign of a pro-active approach on the part of the staff toward stopping racist behaviour."

Chris Myant, CRE director in Wales, said the racism by Welsh prisoners was directed at English as well as black and Asian inmates.

The CRE's Chris Myant said racism was widespread in Parc prison

Many of the racist Welsh prisoners had formed organised groups within the jail.

"There's a feeling that in Parc there was an organised network among white, racist prisoners, using the term 'RVS' for Rhondda Valley Skins," said Mr Myant.

"This organised network gave them greater confidence to act.

"There was a circumstance where a black prisoner was made to walk past white inmates who were shouting 'Heil Hitler' and 'Zieg Heil'{a Nazi victory salute} at him - I can't think of a more frightening experience for such an inmate.

"But it's clear from some of the evidence that there is a problem for white English prisoners in Parc, just as it's clear there is a problem for white Welsh prisoners when they go to Ashfield just over the border in Gloucestershire.

"Clearly in Wales one of the issues they (Parc) need to address is racism by the small minority of white Welsh prisoners towards anybody who isn't white and isn't Welsh."

Mr Myant said that the prison service had agreed an action plan with the CRE to tackle racism across its institutions.

"The Prison Service has already done a lot internally," he said.

Today, Parc is a healthy and safe prison and we are firmly committed to maintaining positive race relations Roy Woolford, Parc Prison

"The big difference now is the preparedness to accept the problem exists. I think we will see accelerated changes across the Prison Service."

He added that if changes were not implemented then the CRE could compel the prison service to act.

Roy Woolford, Director of Custody and Rehabilitation at Parc, said in a statement: "The reporting about race relations at Parc in the CRE report was due to an incident that took place at Parc in early 1999 when the prison had been operational for 16 months and was suffering from some difficulties.

"Since 2000, Parc's approach to race relations has been praised in a variety of independent inspections and reports.

"Today, Parc is a healthy and safe prison and we are firmly committed to maintaining positive race relations so that all prisoners and staff feel free from discrimination."

Commenting on the CRE report, Paul Cavadino, chief executive of crime reduction charity Nacro, said: "Action plans and procedures, however impressive, will not combat racism effectively if some prisons continue to take little notice of them.

"The service will need to deploy staff to do this and back its policies with strong disciplinary sanctions.

"This is the only way to tackle racism successfully throughout the prison system."