Criminal justice system

1
Race For Justice Lets Get It Right
Neena Samota
2
Race Equality in Criminal Justice and role of the
Voluntary Sector

• What do we know about it?
• More significantly
• What can we do about it?

3
Headlines from S.95

• Black people are
• Seven times more likely to be stopped and
  searched
• 3.6 times more likely to be arrested
• Five times more likely to be in prison

4
Point of entry into the Criminal Justice System

• Section 1 increased
• Section 60 searches increased
• Section 44 searches decreased
• Arrests increased
• Cautions decreased

5
Sentencing

• Courts Black and Asian defendants more likely
  to be committed to Crown Court for trial.
• Black offenders more likely to get a custodial
  sentence.
• Asian offenders more likely to receive a
  community sentence.
• Asian offenders more likely to receive a fine.

6
Sentencing
Crown Court Conviction rate for Black and Asian
defendants less than White defendants. Black and
Other offenders received a greater proportion
of custodial sentences. White and Asian
offenders more likely to receive a community
sentence.
7
Sentencing through to Prisons

• Pre-court disposals Young offenders of Mixed
  ethnic origin were more likely to attract a final
  warning and intervention.
• Black young offenders more likely to get a
  custodial sentence.
• A higher proportion of BME groups started pre-
  and post-release supervision with the NPS
  compared with court order supervision.

8
Prisons
26 of the prison population from BME
groups. Foreign Nationals accounted for 39 of
the BME prison population. BME prisoners more
likely to be on remand. Black, Chinese/Other and
Asian offenders more likely to serve longer
sentences than other groups.
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Experience of the CJS

• As Victims
• As Witnesses
• As Staff

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Race and Mental Health
Mental health system population compared to the
general population. Criminal justice system a
key pathway. Disproportionality in diagnosis.
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Race and Mental Health

• Coercive treatment.
• Physical seclusion and hands-on restraint.
• More medication less counselling.
• Enhance capacity within BME communities and
  voluntary sector.

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Factors Shaping Inequalities

• Economic disadvantage.
• Deprived neighbourhoods.
• Labour market.
• Over-representation in the general youth
  population.

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Addressing Inequalities
Key Performance Targets. REIA and
Audits. Monitoring. Community
Engagement. Representative Workforce.
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The BME Third Sector
Definition. What do we know about it? Measuring
its contribution. Building momentum.
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Strengthening Race Equality
Access to services. Consultation. Programme
delivery. Achieving positive outcomes.
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Strengthening Race Equality

• Ensuring accessibility of prevention services to
  BME children and their families.
• Multi-agency work to address risks of other
  negative outcomes.

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What more?
Set targets. Use our strengths. Overcome the
challenges ahead. Equality in contracting
practice. And a lot more