Movement for Race Equality in Prisons

In October 2025, the national conference Race in Prisons: learning from the past, shaping the future, marked a deeply significant moment for the Zahid Mubarek Trust. More than 230 people came together in central London to honour the 25th anniversary of Zahid’s racist murder.

The conference was not only an act of remembrance, but a collective reckoning.
It created space to confront painful truths about how racial equality in prisons has repeatedly been promised, postponed, and neglected, and to ask difficult questions about why meaningful change remains so fragile. Above all, it reaffirmed a shared commitment to meaningful accountability and commitment to turn principles into everyday practice: inside prisons, at the national level, and beyond the spotlight.

The future will not be shaped by hope alone. It will be shaped by people who stay, who organise, who challenge, and who hold the line when attention moves elsewhere. This is how momentum became movement: Movement for Race Equality in Prisons.

The Movement is built on the Manifesto for Race Equality: a powerful vision of what an effective, evidence-led and visionary work on race equality can look like in practice. Rooted in lived experience and collective wisdom, it dares the prison service to move beyond words, reimagine what is possible, and commit to race equality as a lived reality rather than a distant policy aspiration.

“The way individuals are treated in prison affects their chances of rehabilitation in tangible and intangible ways. Tangibly, access to opportunities like training courses, prison jobs and behaviour management programmes affects offenders’ ability to cope without reoffending when they leave prison. Intangibly, the extent to which prisoners believe they are treated fairly in prison has proven links both to their behaviour in custody and their likelihood of reoffending once released.”

The Lammy Review 2017

Manifesto on race equality in prisons

Fair treatment in prison is central to making prisons decent and humane so that they can keep prisoners safe and support the process of rehabilitation. When prisoners face unfair treatment, they are likely to lose trust in authority and disengage from staff. This sharply reduces the chances that prisoners make the progress in custody required to reduce their risk of reoffending on release. Unequal access to education, work, or progression blocks opportunities for change, while experiences of dignity and fairness build the confidence and motivation needed for successful resettlement. As the Lammy Review stressed, fairness is not optional: it is a driver of rehabilitation.

The prison population is more racially diverse with significant over representation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people. The complexity of this racial and ethnic mix of prisoners highlights the importance of consistent Race Equality practices and policies in prisons. There are three key reasons for prioritising race equality in prison

1. Legal and Moral Obligation

2. Evidence of Inequality and Disproportionate Outcomes

The Lammy Review (2017) showed there were persistent racial disparities in key prison outcomes. Ethnic minority prisoners are disproportionately adversely impacted in key areas such as: Use of force, Adjudications and disciplinary action, Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP), Categorisation and progression.

Inspection Reports from His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons continue to comment on the marked racial disparities found during inspections. These disparities undermine confidence in the system and contribute to a culture of mistrust and disengagement among ethnic minority prisoners and staff.

3. Operational Effectiveness and Safety

Equality is fundamental to good order, discipline, and safety. Where race equality is neglected, tensions grow, trust diminishes, and the risk of conflict increases. By contrast, prioritising race equality reduces the potential for racially motivated conflict in prisons and strengthens staff-prisoner relationships, which are central to rehabilitation. Embedded racial equality practices positively impacts staff morale by maintaining professionalism through transparent standards and accountability. Evidence suggests that race equality is not only a matter of fairness but of effective prison management and makes prisons safer for both staff and prisoners.

The Legacy of Zahid Mubarek

Zahid was murdered in a shared cell in March 2000 in HMP/YOI Feltham by his cellmate who was already known to be violent with a history of racist beliefs. In the aftermath of the murder and the two external Inquiries it prompted (a CRE Inquiry and a Public Inquiry), the Prison Service at that time committed to a national programme of action to improve racial equality. Delivering the agreed Race Equality Action Plan was an acknowledged high priority for the Prison Service Board and all prisons. With visible leadership from the Prison Service Board, senior leadership of the Service including Prison Governors

With the passage of time the priority given to race equality has been lost. In the intervening years issues of racism in prison have remained steadfast. It requires a new focus and determined leadership to secure the improvements which are urgently needed to make racial equality a reality and not just an aspiration.

Racial equality is not an optional ideal: it is a legal duty, a moral necessity, and an operational imperative. The lessons of the past demand that HMPPS act with renewed ambition, genuine partnership, and unwavering accountability. To make prisons safer, fairer, and more effective, racial equality must once again become a visible, measurable, and non-negotiable priority at every level of the prison system.

We call for renewed

Ambition

HMPPS to publish a Racial Equality Strategy for prisons which sets out a clear vision of how the prison service provides true racial equality for prisoners and staff.

Action

Establish meaningful and direct engagement with specialist organisations working in prisons, including lived experience individuals, through an independent scrutiny group.

Embed race equality and diversity training, co-designed with specialist organisations, into all areas of staff development. All courses, from initial training for prison officers to leadership programmes, should include a focus on race and equality.

Set out clear mandatory actions for achieving race equality in prisons and specify measurable performance targets on all the key area (use of force, adjudications, IEP, discrimination complaints, access to activities and categorisation), both for HMPPS HQ, and for prisons.

Accountability

Regularly publish progress updates on performance against the race equality targets (use of force, adjudications, IEP, discrimination complaints, access to activities and categorisation) in the HMPPS Annual Report.

Publish the results of equality impact assessments showing how the service has considered race equality issues when developing national policy.

Steering Group Members

The group currently comprises five core members who are responsible for establishing the strategic priorities for the first 12 months and for developing the framework to expand both the Steering Group and the wider membership of the Movement.

Beverley Thompson OBE

Beverley is a former senior civil servant and Race Equality Advisor at HM Prison Service (2004 – 2009) and worked as an independent consultant in 2018 on a Lammy Review-related project for HMPPS...

She has spent over 30 years working in the criminal justice sector initially as a probation officer in London. Beverley was previously a member of Thames Valley Police Authority and a non-service associate at the College of Policing for over 20 years. She was the first chair of the Metropolitan Police Service Independent Advisory Group, providing support, advice and scrutiny on addressing racism, discrimination and equality in policing practices. Beverley was Director for Race, Prisons and Resettlement Services at NACRO for 10 years. Furthermore, she has been the Chief Executive of Northampton Probation Service. In 2022 Beverley was appointed as a non-judicial member of the Sentencing Council.

She works across the UK, Australia, USA & Canada on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion strategies. She was awarded an OBE for services to Race Equality in 2000.

Dr Kimmett Edgar

Kimmett is a former Senior Research Officer at the Oxford Centre for Criminological Research and was Head of Research at the Prison Reform Trust. His major work, Prison Violence: the dynamics of conflict, fear and power...

explored the roots of prison violence in conflicts among prisoners. He is also co-author, with Tim Newell, of Restorative Justice in Prisons (2006). At the Prison Reform Trust, Kimmett has managed studies on race equality, mental health, financial exclusion, resettlement, prison councils, and active citizenship.

He is a member of the Northern Ireland Ministerial Forum on Safer Custody; Quaker Representative to the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice; an independent member of HM Prisons Inspectorate Resettlement Policy Forum; and a former chair of the Alternatives to Violence Project.

Paul Cavadino

Paul is a British criminal justice expert and author known for his extensive work on penal policy, criminal justice reform, and youth justice. He spent many years at the charity Nacro, serving in leadership roles including...

Director of Policy, Race & Resettlement and later Chief Executive from 2002–2009. During his career he has focused on issues such as prisoner resettlement, race equality, and crime policy. Cavadino has chaired major voluntary sector coalitions like the Penal Affairs Consortium and the Alliance for Reducing Offending. He has written or co-authored several books on criminal justice and contributed widely to debates on sentencing, custody, and reform. He has also chaired the Prison Reform Trust’s Advisory Committee on reducing the use of custody for children.

Juan Perea Lopez

Juan is a qualified Equality Advocate and an emerging leader in race equality, prison reform, and lived-experience-led change. Juan has been engaged with the ZMT since 2023, first while in custody and...

where he has consistently demonstrated outstanding commitment to challenging discrimination and strengthening trust between prisoners and staff.

In recognition of his exceptional impact, Juan was awarded the prestigious David Ramsbotham Award in 2024 for his leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion and for fostering positive, constructive staff–prisoner relationships.

In 2025, Juan joined ZMT as a part-time Lived Experience Lead, playing a key role in shaping engagement with people directly affected by racial inequality in the criminal justice system. From March 2026, he will take up a full-time Policy and Engagement Lead role. In this capacity, Juan will support over 550 Equality Advocates in custody and in the community, ensuring their voices are meaningfully heard and embedded within ZMT’s policy and advocacy work, particularly through the Steering Group.

Imtiaz Amin

Imtiaz is the uncle of Zahid Mubarek and founder of the Trust. Imtiaz changed his career path to become a spokesperson for the Mubarek family and pursue answers following the death of his nephew. As Co-director...

Imtiaz is currently leading the charity’s delivery and support work engaging with prisoners, families and prison leavers. Imtiaz has vast expertise in working with policy and decision-makers as a spokesperson for the Mubarek family (2000 – 2008) and as a Chief Executive Officer for the Trust (2009 – 2019).

As an independent expert adviser to numerous government reviews and inquiries, he is a
regular media commentator, delivering conference contributions both nationally and
internationally. In addition, Imtiaz has been supporting families of prisoners
concerned about discrimination and ill-treatment of their loved ones in custody.

Prior to joining the criminal justice sector representing Zahid’s family, Imtiaz worked
as an IT engineer. He holds post-graduate degree from the University of
Westminster in Engineering.

Movement for Race Equality in Prisons

What does the Movement stand for?

We stand together: practitioners, people with lived experience, families, and communities, united by a shared belief that every person in prison deserves fairness, dignity, and respect.
We recognise that racial inequality continues to shape the experiences and outcomes of too many people in the prison system. We will not look away.
We commit ourselves to highlighting inequalities, challenging discrimination, and working together to create environments where everyone is treated with humanity and decency.
We believe that true change comes through listening: to lived experience, to those most affected, and to each other.
We will use our voices, our positions, and our influence to make equality a lived reality, not just a policy or a promise.
We will celebrate leadership that is fair and courageous.
We will hold ourselves and others accountable when standards fall short. And we will build relationships across divides: between staff and prisoners, between prisons and communities, grounded in respect, trust, and shared purpose.

This is our collective commitment to the Manifesto on Race Equality in Prisons:

to stand up for race equality, because it is the responsibility, we all share.

How the Movement Works

The Movement for Race Equality in Prisons is a collective of individuals and organisations committed to turning the principles of the Manifesto for Race Equality in Prisons into everyday practice. It is powered by collaboration, guided by evidence, and driven by lived experience.

A Steering Group, coordinated by the ZMT, will be established by January 2026. The Steering Group will consist of individuals and organisations who are independent from the prison system.

The Steering Group will:

Set strategic priorities aligned with the Manifesto.
Scrutinise the progress on race equality work at the national HMPPS level.
Publish an independent annual review of the Race Equality in Prisons.
Engage with the members of the Movement meaningfully and regularly.
Publish position papers highlighting progress and areas of concern.
Bring together data, testimonies, and lived experience to inform national policy and practice.
Ceate a digital network for sharing learning, resources, and updates.
Enable opportunities for co-production and partnership between prisons and community organisations.

Building a National Voice

The movement will connect people who care about race equality in prisons: practitioners, prisoners, families, and community advocates.

This is how we turn momentum into movement and movement into change.

This is not a campaign that ends when the spotlight fades.

It is a sustained, living movement grounded in action, partnership, and accountability.

Together, we will ensure that the Manifesto for Race Equality in Prisons is not just implemented but embedded.

Because race equality is not optional.

It is the foundation of justice, and the measure of our collective humanity.

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