Racist Reasoning and Rehabilitation courses - "another stick to beat prisoners with" Clare Barstow is also on the Race Relations committee and has spoken out against Barry Ingram, the Reasoning and Rehabilitation tutor. Biba Sarkaria, a political prisoner at Cookhamwood (see page1) states: `A number of women have complained about him. This is a man who has been telling black prisoners that he `does not understand their culture’ and yet he is teaching us a course on behaving reasonably. As far as we are concerned he needs the course more than we do. The prisoners stated that these courses are a waste of time, they achieve nothing. `They are just another stick to beat us up with, to deny us parole and to deny us our rights as black prisoners..’ Black Women prisoners and Foreign Nationals at HMP Durham have seen a serious deterioration in their conditions. In the last few months Samar Alami (a Palestinian political prisoner) and Mariame Keita have been faced with a rapid deterioration in their daily routine. For them it means that : 1 The exercise regime is completely inadequate, and is depriving women of their statutory rights. For months on end, women have not been getting regular exercise. Between 21 August and 4 September they received no exercise at all, i.e. 100 women did not get into the fresh air for a total of 336 hours each. By contrast, male prisoners have had no such problems. 2 The lock-up time has increased unreasonably, and the association time is sub-standard. Even inmates on enhanced regimes can be locked in 4 nights a week 3 Black and foreign national women are facing racist treatment from both inmates and officers. Mariame Keita `a foreign national’ from Senegal states: `…these so called bullies actually come in the form of `uniformed’ individuals, who are supposed to be the protectors- the officers…In the last few months I have been constantly picked on and really intimidated…every channel I have used to complain has not yielded any result to eradicate the situation. I am so traumatised and I cannot promise that I will not attempt to take my life again as there is still no indication of my grievances being resolved’ On Monday 25th November, in protest against her treatment Mariame poured boiling hot water all over her body. She is now recovering from serious burns to her chest, body and arms. Please write letters of protest to any or all of the following: Mike Newell, the Governor, HMP Durham Old Elvet Durham, DH1 3HU, Martin Narey, tDirector General of the Prison Service London SW1P 4LN, tel: 0171-217-6000 (general line), fax: 0171-217-6961, Paul Boateng, the Prisons Minister, Home Office 50 Queen Anne’s Gate London, SW1H 9AT. Andar Ki Larai Home