A SENIOR officer at a prison near Rugby has encouraged people from diverse backgrounds to join her in helping to rebuild the prison system.
Maureen Porter-Fraser, a custodial manager at HMP Onley, is celebrating the contribution of black officers to the running of prisons during this Black History Month – but wants more to join to create a more equal and diverse workforce.
Maureen says the workforce has become more diverse in the 25 years she has worked in prisons – but more needs to be done.
She said: “Things have changed a lot in my 25 years. I’m strong-willed and try and treat everyone fairly. I grew up in a diverse community where my girls’ school was of mixed cultures where I made friends who are still in my life today, and are all well-rounded.
“Sometimes it’s helpful for the prisoners to see another black person but it’s important they know I have a job to do, first and foremost.
“I’ve taken a leading role on equality and diversity at Onley. There weren’t many black members of staff when I started, and certainly few women of colour. I’ve got ambitions to be a senior leader myself and I’d like to see more black women strive for senior leadership roles.
“There needs to be more black officers who can progress their careers and become governors in the future.”
To celebrate black culture this month, Maureen – whose family are of Jamaican heritage – cooked some traditional Caribbean food to take in for fellow nightshift workers, with colleagues in the prison also sharing food from their homelands.
She said: “It was beautiful, bringing all the different cultures together. Black History Month is a good time to reflect, both on the good and the bad.”
Challenging stereotypes and biases is also a key part of her job.
She added: “For me, Black History Month is about championing equality for everyone all the time, which is also important to me in my work. Regardless of the background prisoners come from I want to help them – whether that’s getting a job when they leave, staying in touch with their friends and family, or breaking the cycle of crime.
“Your career can go in any number of directions including educational growth, and I’ve had support from people across the service, and not just in my prison.”
Under the Lammy Review’s recommendations, the Ministry of Justice has a target to achieve 15.8 per cent of HM Prison and Probation service recruits being from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background – up from the current 14.7 per cent.
And with prisons until recently close to full, staff are playing a key role in rebuilding the prison system so that it is more effective at cutting reoffending rates among those leaving prison.
