Prison Service To Seek Gay Officers

Prison chiefs have launched a campaign to recruit homosexual officers in an attempt to shed the macho image of those who patrol jails.The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is to advertise jobs in gay and lesbian magazines. It will also liaise with a gay rights group to resolve sexual issues and help integrate recruits.
A confidential hotline for homosexual prison officers who want advice on “coming out” has also been set up.
Activists were delighted that the SPS, which is perceived to be macho, was the first uniformed service to commit to a campaign to create workplace equality for gay people.
The service, which employs 3,000 officers in 15 jails, was the second of 10 large organisations in Scotland to join Diversity Champions, a UK-wide initiative aimed at creating greater opportunity. Others include Scottish Enterprise, the Royal Bank, Edinburgh city council and the BBC.
Stonewall Scotland, the gay rights organisation behind Diversity Champions, believes the commitment by the SPS is “ hugely significant”.
“The stereotype of uniformed services is straight, institutional, tough, white, masculine and hard,” said Calum Irving, director of Stonewall.
“The SPS involvement will go a long way towards our aim of ensuring that sexuality is no longer an issue in the workplace and society.
“It is estimated that 6% of the population is gay, lesbian or bisexual. The ratio is likely to be the same in prison and if we get things right for gay prison officers, that benefit will filter down to the prisoners.
“We are hoping their example will give other organisations the impetus to commit.”
The SPS said it already has gay officers, but many choose to keep their sexual orientation secret. A spokesman said it was determined to promote diversity, adding: “A workforce must represent the community.”
Stonewall Scotland will dedicate a gay programme manager to the initiative and the SPS has joined with Strathclyde Gay and Lesbian Switchboard to provide support and advice.
The SPS spokesman added: “We have been involved in discussions with gay, bisexual and transgender publications to advertise vacancies to their readership.”
The television drama Bad Girls has run a number of story lines involving gay prison officers.
Prison chiefs do not have a figure in mind for how many gay officers they will recruit, but it is understood the service would like prisons to reflect the national average ratio.
“We would judge applicants on merit and his or her ability to be a prison officer,” said the spokesman. Jim Dawson, of the Scottish Prison Officers Association, the service’s trade union, said: “There are gay prisoners and prison officers, but we are seen as a macho service.
“One of the difficulties of shedding that image is that people may be frightened to come forward in case they are perceived as weak. The more we break down barriers, the better. We live in a diverse society. It is only right that we recruit without discrimination.” Other uniformed services have, in the past, created initiatives to help gay members and encourage others to join.
In 1990, the UK’s 52 police forces created the Gay Police Association, which represents the interests of gay staff and works to educate the police service and government on issues connected with sexual orientation.
In Scotland, Lothian and Borders police works closely with the Lothian Gay and Lesbian Switchboard organisation and actively seeks to recruit officers from minorities, including the gay community.
In the fire service, Grampian fire and rescue, has initiated a campaign to encourage gay people to become firefighters.
Stonewall has also placed Strathclyde fire and rescue and Strathclyde police in the top 100 of best British organisations for gay workers Last year the Royal Navy turned to Stonewall for advice on how to recruit and retain gay sailors. Senior officers wanted to encourage more gay and lesbian sailors, estimated at 2,100, to “come out”, paving the way for the first openly gay admiral. The partnership was intended to provide the template for a wider change in the culture of the armed forces.
from Times OnLine