Prison racism inquiry launched

Murder scene: Feltham Young Offenders Institution

The Commission for Racial Equality is expected to formally announce an investigation into alleged racism in parts of the prison service on Friday.

The move follows a highly critical Prison Service report on the circumstances surrounding the racist murder of an Asian man, Zahid Mubarek, held at Feltham Young Offenders Institution in west London.

Mr Mubarek, who had been due to be released on the day of the attack, was bludgeoned to death by his cellmate, Robert Stewart.

Stewart, who earlier this month was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder, was being held on remand at Feltham for sending race-hate letters.

Zahid Mubarek: Killed by cellmate

The CRE's inquiry will focus on Feltham, as well as Brixton Prison in London, and the private Parc Prison near Bridgend, south Wales.

It follows a call by Home Office Minister Paul Boateng for the organisation to act.

The BBC's community affairs correspondent, Geeta Guru-Murthy, says Mr Mubarek's family had wanted the government to hold an open public inquiry.

But, she says, it is thought the Home Office is reluctant to go down such a potentially painful route in the run-up to an election.

'Demoralising'

The Howard League for Penal Reform has warned that the prison service should not use the inquiry as an excuse for delaying real change.

It says prisons must learn the same difficult lessons the police faced as a result of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry.

The Prison Officers' Association says it welcomes the inquiry, but that it will be demoralising.

The prison service should not be branded as worse than any other public institution, it says.