BAME teens in UK more likely found in prisons than colleges: PM
New data shows teenagers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities (BAME) in the United Kingdom are more likely to be found in prisons than in university classes.
At present, BAME individuals make up over a quarter of prisoners, yet are only 14% of the wider population of England and Wales.
Latest official figures also show they make up a disproportionate amount of crown court defendants (24%), and those who are found guilty are more likely to receive custodial sentences than white offenders (61% compared to 56%), according to the Guardian.
The review will address issues arising from the point of arrest onwards, including through the court system, in prisons and during rehabilitation in the community, in order to identify areas for reform and examples of good practice from the UK and beyond.
This comes after Prime Minister David Cameron said recently that “if you’re black, you’re more likely to be in a prison cell than studying at a top university. And if you’re black it seems you’re more likely to be sentenced to custody for a crime than if you’re white. We should investigate why this is and how we can end this possible discrimination.”
The comments came as he announced the appointment of David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, to head a new government review into discrimination against black and ethnic minority people in the criminal justice system.
Lammy, who was the first black Briton to study at Harvard and went on to become a barrister, has been asked to report back in spring 2017 with recommendations to address the problem.
“I’ve been working in this area for almost two decades and am very pleased to lead this comprehensive, independent review across our criminal justice system. The urgency is clear,” he said.
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