These slides were for a presentation I was giving.

1. Describe the unique challenges in the
development and delivery of equality, diversity
and human rights policy and practice within a
prison setting;
including your strategy for the delivery and
implementation of this
© Celia Sweeney – 2012

2. Challenge within a Prison Setting
Political and Prison
Societal Service
Equality, Divers
ity and Human
Rights
Business Case
Exclusion to Prisoner life
Inclusion cycle
© csweeney/May 2012

3. Challenges within a Prison
Setting
Political and Societal
Equality, Diversity • Balance of operating fairly
and Human Rights towards women and men who
Business Case have been detained because they
have broken societies norms and /
or codes of behaviour.
• Political expectations
• Societal expectations
• Role of the media in shaping
society’s views around criminal
justice
• Punishment / rehabilitation
© csweeney/May 2012

4. Challenges within a Prison
Setting
Prison Service
Equality, Diversity
and Human Rights • Biggest resources are
Business Case
staff, estate and partnerships
• A modern, diverse, skilled and
confident workforce
• Fit for purpose estate
• Effective partnerships
© csweeney/May 2012

5. Challenges within a Prison
Setting
Prisoner life cycle
Equality, Diversity • Contributing factors – drug and
and Human alcohol dependency; literacy;
Rights numeracy; chaotic lifestyles;
Business Case
experience of abuse; and mental
health issues.
• Prisoner personal and health
needs while in custody
• Access to purposeful activity
• Prisoner release preparations to
reduce re-offending risks
© csweeney/May 2012

6. Challenges within a Prison
Setting
Exclusion to Inclusion
Equality, Diversity
and Human Rights
• Prison is a physical
Business Case exclusion from family and
society
• Strategies where prisoners
can be supported to
journey from exclusion to
inclusion
• Strategies to maintain and
manage and support long
term prisoners
© csweeney/May 2012

7. A strategy for delivery and
implementation
© csweeney/May 2012

8. ED & HR Strategic Plan
• Consider the plan in light of:
• the new Scottish public sector equality duty regulations
• the findings from the Commission on Women Offenders
• Inspection findings and;
• any other pertinent reviews
• Review current business to:
• identify examples of success, good practice and promote such
• test if it is now mainstreamed or still in the development stage.
• Revise the strategic plan to the new Scottish legislative timeframe – 30th April 2013
for the production of equality objectives
© csweeney/May 2012

9. ED & HR Strategic Plan - Priorities
• Reduce financial and reputational risk by ensuring that an equality impact
assessment process is in place for policy; practice and decision making
• Service structures are in place to monitor / review / challenge equality
progress in order to support correctional excellence and achieve positive
inspection results
• Senior managers are able to communicate the equality and human rights
vision and how it links to the strategic and operational business of the
Prison Service
© csweeney/May 2012

10. ED & HR Strategic Plan - Priorities
• Equality data is captured and analysed to identify areas of under-representation;
occupational segregation and inform appropriate action
• An equality and human rights training plan will focus on how equality and human rights
impacts on the ‘day job’ and the delivery of correctional excellence
• Equality and human rights will be integral to any staff competency and performance
framework
• The Service ensures that its workforce is shaped by retention and progression activity that
is informed by performance, the experiences of staff, exit feedback and workforce surveys
• Staff are engaged and consulted with to test service culture and continual improvement
• Pay issues are kept under review to comply with legislation
© csweeney/May 2012

11. ED & HR Strategic Plan - Priorities
• Working with partners, the service updates the equality profiling of prisoner
communities to understand their experiences and provide for different needs
• The service can demonstrate that it recognises heightened risks from
disproportionate treatment of prisoner groups in terms of prisoner
transfer, custody, support, medical and educational needs and has action
plans and staff training in place to tackle these.
• Prisoner views on equality and human rights are obtained as part of regular
surveys and change is implemented where appropriate
© csweeney/May 2012

12. ED & HR Strategic Plan - Priorities
• Those involved in procurement/ resourcing activity follow appropriate frameworks
and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) guidance on equality and diversity
• The service identifies access and usability considerations relating to buildings,
infrastructure and equipment, in partnership with prisoners, staff and partners
• The service engages directly on equality and human rights complaints from
prisoners, staff and where relevant third-party agencies
© csweeney/May 2012

13. ED & HR Strategic Plan - Priorities
• Monitoring of progress against equality, diversity and human rights
targets/outcomes is embedded within the mainstream performance
management system and scrutinised internally and externally
• Current, accurate and complete analysis of equality, diversity and human
rights information is used to address any negative impacts and outcomes
identified from internal review and external inspections
• The service is able to tell its story of success.
© csweeney/May 2012

14. The equality challenge is addressed by creating
synergy between equality, diversity, human rights
and the prison service vision and strategy
© csweeney/May 2012