Young black people in the criminal justice
system
Summary
Young black people are over-represented at all stages of
the criminal justice system; black people form 2.7% of the population aged
10-17 but represent 8.5% of that age group arrested in England and Wales. They
are more likely to be stopped and searched, less likely to be given
unconditional bail and more likely to be remanded in custody.
The
aim of this inquiry,
'Young
Black People and the Criminal Justice System' (HC 181-I), was to go beyond
the statistics and establish whether the patterns of criminal behaviour differ
from the patterns of crime amongst other groups and whether any significant
policies are needed to tackle this. It also looks at the possible causes of
young black people's over-representation in the system and also their
over-representation as victims.
The Paper is accompanied by
Oral
and Written Evidence (HC 181-II).
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How does it affect
me?
If you are a member of the black community or work in the criminal
justice system, this affects you.
The Committees finds that any strategy
to tackle the problem will need to address underlying causes such as:
- Entrenched poverty
- Educational underachievement
- School
exclusions
- Family breakdown
- Lack of role models.
There also needs to be action to address the perception and realities of
discrimination in the criminal justice system itself.
Find out more about
the work of the House of
Commons Home Affairs Committee.