A PRISONER in a high security jail says he has been subjected to racist abuse.

About 70 family and supporters of Jaslyn Smith, from Oldbury, in the West Midlands, staged a protest outside Frankland Prison, on the outskirts of Durham City, on Saturday afternoon.

Smith is serving a life sentence imposed in 1999 for rape, which he denied, having previously served a 30-month jail sentence for wounding.

He is currently being held in segregation. He says he has served far longer than his original tariff and suffered abuse and victimisation at various prisons because he maintains his innocence.

His supporters want him to be moved to a jail nearer home where he could enrol on courses that might increase his chances of securing parole.

Smith, nicknamed the Royal Rapper, says he was attacked by a fellow prisoner at Full Sutton and that his assailant is now at Frankland.

He has written to prison governor Dave Thompson alleging that he has suffered racial abuse from inmates and staff. He said: “It is also transparent that the racial abuse and discrimination I am subjected to at Frankland takes many forms, whereby I find myself harassed and persecuted by staff.”

A prison spokesman said: “The Prison Service is very clear on the issue of racism.

We take allegations of racism very seriously and have a zero tolerance policy of those who hold racist views or use racist language.”