Could This Go Some Way To Explain Why The Black People Are Over-Represented In Prison?

[sp1814]

Every few months, we are reminded on AB, that as a percentage of the British population, blacks are over-represented in prison.

Could this report at least partially explain why?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/courts-are-biased-against-blacks-with-white-offenders-less-likely-to-be-jailed-for-similar-crimes-says-official-report-8959804.html

Obviously, it cannot be used to completely explain away the disparity - but should we not take this into consideration, especially when the matter is discussed?

[emmie]

its virtually what i posted, it's the same MofJ details just from 2010.

[emmie]

same link, shouldn't you be just as concerned about this.

Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System
Victims of Crime

The 2012/13 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) shows that adults from self-identified Mixed, Black and Asian ethnic groups were more at risk of being a victim of personal crime than adults from the White ethnic group. This has been consistent since 2008/09 for adults from a Mixed or Black ethnic group; and since 2010/11 for adults from an Asian ethnic group. Adults from a
Mixed ethnic group had the highest risk of being a victim of personal crime in each year between 2008/09 and 2012/13

[emmie]

page 10 is not such a surprise, it's what the police have been saying for a long time.

[sp1814]

emmie

You're talking about "Overview of Race and the CJS: Proportion of individuals in the CJS by ethnic group compared to general population, England and Wales", right?

What is your point?

[sp1814]

emmie

We seem to be talking about everything in the report apart from the points I posted about.

Fair enough...it's a sizable document with a lot of interesting information in it.

[sp1814]

But anyway, if we could scuttle back to the point for a second - seeing as this report seems accurate in so many ways, is it also accurate in it's revelation that you're more likely to get a shorter sentence if you're white and have committed the same crime (and enter the same plea) than if you're black...

...and do you think that's something that needs to be addressed?

[Orderlimit]

I agree with NJ "I find it difficult to understand how racial bias can influence sentencing, particularly concerning imprisonment from Magistrates’ courts. Magistrates’ sentencing guidelines are quite rigid..."

And the same applies to the decision to whether to caution an accused:

"It shows that over the past four years black criminals have been less likely to receive police cautions and more likely to have been proceeded against in court, than any other ethnic groups."

When the police seek advice from the CPS or a decision maker on how to proceed with a case a persons colour does not even come into the process, (unless it has some bearing on the case e,g racially motivated offences). the prosecutor doesn't say "what colour is the accused" nor would an officer say "just to let you know the accused is black"

This will be a difficult study to establish any accuracy as rarely are two offences exactly the same.

[Orderlimit]

Maybe it's the location of the court that is the problem. According to this chap Gloucestershire is a racist county and he wont receive a fair trial there.

http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Gloucestershire-racist-county-cricketer-tells/story-20053652-detail/story.html

Mind you, he is no stranger to dishing out the violence and racism himself:

April 2013 http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Cricketer-attacked-Quedgeley-Tesco-manager-banned/story-19958583-detail/story.html#axzz2ltAtH28D


2006: Robin Sterling, 47 - who once played for Surrey - assaulted a cop who arrested him during a pub row, calling him "white trash" and a "white midget". He later abused his own legal adviser Susan Brown, Gloucester magistrates heard.