
Commenting on the latest MoJ ethnicity and the criminal justice system figures, Jabeer Butt OBE, CEO of the Race Equality Foundation said: “These figures tell a disturbing story that is unfortunately all too familiar: if you are from a minority ethnic group, you are disproportionately likely to end up in the criminal justice system compared to your White peers.
“The system is stacked against Black, Asian and minority ethnic individuals. We see this clearly in the figures showing that a higher proportion of White offenders had a long history of offending, yet they had a consistently lower average custodial sentence length than all other ethnic groups.
“The over-representation of minority ethnic groups – particularly Black individuals – in the system compared to the population points to deep layers of disadvantage and discrimination embedded in our systems which manifests early in life. We are particularly worried to see the statistics around outcomes for Black children and the London bias. If we hope to change these worrying trends and restore trust, the Government must prioritise tackling the root causes of violence and supporting communities to end the school-to-prison pipeline.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. About the Race Equality Foundation
The Race Equality Foundation is a national charity tackling racial inequality across public services to improve the lives of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Its areas of work cover health and care, housing, children and families, employment, communities and more.
2. Press contact: Shiryn Sayani, Communications & Campaigns Manager / comms@racefound.org.uk / 07593 454182