“Me and [Doshi] got put on the foreign national wing [in prison] – even though we are British nationals. A lot of prisoners of colour get put on that wing.
“It was a weird one but that foreign national wing was much better vibes than the other wings because it was made up of people who had genuinely made community,” he said.
Foreign nationals make up about 12% of the prison population in England and Wales, according to a parliamentary report, external.
Narenthiran added that racial slurs were commonly used in prison by staff and inmates.
People from minority ethnic groups make up about 27% of the prison population, compared with 18% of the general population.
“In Exeter that was where there was quite a lot of racial tension, but that was also exacerbated by the establishment and the cultural or racial literacy that exists within staff.
“There is integration – people get along until they don’t and if race gets brought up then that just escalates in itself.
“It’s not all white people that were racist, but I think there is a vocal minority on both sides that causes aggravation,” Narenthiran said.
In 2024 a report said that Exeter Prison has one of the highest rates of violence between adult male prisoners in England and Wales.
Doshi said being a minority and from an “underserved” community has helped him understand what prison reform needed to include to help inmates from minority backgrounds.
“It is important for ethnic ex-offenders to [advocate for reform] because we have a deep, lived experience.
“There aren’t a lot of ethnic minorities who are [working in prison-reform]. Everyone is too scared to step out of line,” he said.
The pair visited Parliament earlier this month to advocate for there to be more racial equality in prisons.