Drag act invited to entertain sex offenders at LGBT diversity day in prison

A drag act was brought in to entertain inmates at an "LGBT sports day" in a notorious prison.

Around half the population of HMP Moorland are convicted sex offenders.

But they were treated to a drag performance on Monday - a "sports day" organised to acknowledge the diversity of the jail's inmates.

Prison management invited sex offenders and LGBT prisoners alike to participate.

Coloured plastic sheets matching the LGBT flag were hung up inside the walkway outside the segregation unit, The Telegraph revealed.

Though one witness said the drag act "did not do much and just stood about".

Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and ex-Government adviser on extremism in jails, voiced his incredulity at the performance.

"I simply can't imagine what possessed prison bosses to put on such an event.

"This prison holds people convicted of very serious sexual crimes against men, women and children," he said.

He also claimed senior officials at HMP Moorland attempted to stage the event while keeping it hidden from staff.

"And to add insult to injury, a drag queen was invited for entertainment," he added.

Mr Acheson questioned whether headquarters even knew about or approved the event, describing the prison service as "a national law enforcement agency that has completely lost its way".

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Nick Timothy, the Shadow Justice Secretary, has now demanded accountability over the "sports day" event.

"Victims will be outraged that prisons are hosting special sports days for sex offenders," he said.

"Whoever thought it was appropriate to book a drag artist to entertain them should be sacked," Mr Timothy added.

"We will end this waste and ensure our prisons are focused on punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation."

Government inspectors gave HMP Moorland, a category C training and resettlement facility which houses over 1,000 prisoners, a positive assessment following a visit in 2023.

An inspection found violence and self-harm incidents were on the decline, and noted good relationships between staff and prisoners.

At that time, the facility held just over 1,000 men, 58 per cent of which were serving sentences for sexual offences.

Inspectors noted that gay and bisexual prisoners said they felt well-supported, though no external LGBT networks visited the prison.

But the report also highlighted concerns that some uniformed staff, particularly younger officers, spoke disrespectfully to prisoners convicted of sex offences.

A prison service spokesman stated: "No taxpayer money was spent on this event."

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