NCJ Number
213631
Editor(s)
Sam Lewis,
Peter Raynor,
David Smith,
Ali Wardak
Date Published
2006
Length
255 pages
Annotation
Based on reviews and analyses of relevant research, this anthology contains chapters on the British criminal justice system's discriminatory treatment of Black and minority ethnic (BME) offenders, particularly by the Probation Service, and how probation services for BME offenders can be improved.
Abstract
The first three chapters address recent policy, research, and practice initiatives. One chapter reviews the history of the Probation Service's approach with BME offenders. Topics covered include the recruitment of Black probation officers, racial equality in treating offenders, and the supervision of BME probationers. The other two chapters in this section discuss how to treat probationers who have committed racially motivated crimes and how the Probation Service has responded to race-related issues in both work with offenders and personnel policies. The four chapters of Part Two address the needs and experiences of minority ethnic offenders. Three of the chapters pertain to the findings of a study that interviewed 483 BME probationers drawn from a random sampling of probationers in England and Wales. These chapters compare the characteristics and experiences of these probationers with those of White probationers profiled in other research. Among the BME probationer characteristics discussed are their economic, education, and neighborhood disadvantages and their attitudes toward the criminal justice system. The chapters in Part Three discuss aspects of recent practice and policy in Great Britain regarding BME offenders. Chapters consider the challenges involved in designing and delivering programs specifically for BME offenders, what works in programming for such offenders, and the importance of tailoring programs to the experiences of BME offenders in the communities where they live. Research on the attitudes of BME probationers toward their programming and supervision is also discussed. Chapter tables, figures, notes, and references and a subject index