Race and the Criminal Justice System: An Overview to the Complete Statistics 2003-2004

• NCJ Number: 209443
• Author(s): Gordon Barclay; Angie Munley; Tony Munton
• Date Published: February 2005
• Length: 40 pages
• Sale Source: Criminal Justice System Race Unit
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: A Home Office publication under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991; downloaded April 13, 2005.

Annotation

This report highlights the key findings from the publication, “Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2004,” from the United Kingdom.

Abstract

Data are summarized concerning the experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups as victims, suspects, offenders, and employees within the criminal justice system in England and Wales. Data were drawn from a standard police recording system based on a self-classification into 1 of 16 racial categories used in the 2001 Census. The data analysis suggests that while advances have been made in the proportion of BME staff working within the criminal justice system, other areas remain relatively unchanged. Specifically, BME groups are disproportionately represented as suspects and offenders within the criminal justice system. Data show that Blacks are over six times more likely to be stopped and searched, three times more likely to be arrested, and seven times more likely to go to prison than Whites. Evidence suggests that this imbalance is not the result of Black people committing more crimes, although the cause of the imbalance has yet to be definitively concluded. Police data from all police areas indicated that a greater proportion of White defendants (78 percent) were found guilty in court during 2003 than Black defendants (73 percent). Victimization and fear of crime also appears to fall disproportionately on BME groups; 10 percent of homicides during the 3-year period ending 2004 were of Black people; 31 percent of Black homicide victims were shot compared with 6 percent of White homicide victims. The proportion of BME officers within the 43 police forces rose 18 percent during 2003-2004 to 3.3 percent of the work force. BME groups reported higher levels of perceived discrimination within the criminal justice system relative to White people. The report closes with an examination of how criminal justice agencies are working to ensure the delivery of modern, fair, and effective justice throughout England and Wales. Footnotes, figures, references