Black, Asian and minority ethnic people

Introduction

Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME*) people are over represented in the criminal justice system. This needs to be addressed if we are to create a just and equal system.

People from BAME communities are more likely to be arrested and more likely to have decisions go against them in court. They are over represented in the prison population. They are more likely to be subject to adjudication or use of force, reporting poorer experiences of prison life overall. They are over represented in probation caseloads and reoffending rates. 

We need better, and more consistent, responses to reduce the number of BAME people in our justice system. Some specialist voluntary sector organisations provide tailored services to BAME individuals. However, these grassroots initiatives have been particularly affected by recent cuts in public spending and rapid changes to the local policy and commissioning environment. Find out more in our State of the sector research.

Successive reviews and reports have made recommendations to address these issues. Most recently, these have included the Lammy Review into the treatment of, and outcomes for black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in the criminal justice system, published in September 2017. The Ministry of Justice published its response to the Lammy Review in December 2017 and is currently working to implement its recommendations.

*We acknowledge that the term BAME can be problematic as it refers to a group of people who are far from homogenous. The intersection of race, ethnicity, faith, and culture makes social identities multi-faceted and shifting – the experiences of individuals within these groups will vary. Wherever possible, we seek to be specific when describing groups of people but at times use the term BAME – albeit reluctantly – to describe inequality and discrimination across groups when necessary.

Our members

BAME-led organisations, which are rooted in the communities they serve, offer tailored support to BAME individuals in the criminal justice system. These organisations are able to positively recognise and reaffirm people’s cultural identities in a way that aids desistance, and also to recognise and address experiences of discrimination, which if ignored, can be a significant obstacle to desistance.

Other voluntary sector organisations, who may not be BAME led, in some cases offer tailored services or work in partnership with BAME led organisations in recognition of the particular issues faced by BAME individuals in the criminal justice system.

Are you looking for voluntary organisations working with black, Asian and minority ethnic people? Browse our Directory of offender services

Clinks thinks

Clinks thinks all sectors working in the criminal justice system must work to tackle racism and discrimination by ensuring that they are using evidence and examples of good practice to meet the needs of BAME individuals.

The voluntary sector should continue to be at the forefront of this work, both highlighting evidence of racism and discrimination, and seeking solutions with BAME organisations and experts.

The government should have a comprehensive strategy which gives race equality a central place in all policy making and should have ambitious aims for reducing the inequality across the system, drawing on the expertise and experience of BAME voluntary organisations.

What Clinks is doing

Clinks works in partnership with BAME organisations to tackle racism and discrimination and provide tailored support to organisations working with BAME individuals in the criminal justice system.

Clinks supported the Lammy Review to engage with voluntary organisations working in criminal justice. We are now working to ensure that this engagement continues as the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service implement the Review’s recommendations. This has included supporting the Ministry of Justice to hold meetings between the voluntary sector and Ministers, and workshops on improving outcomes for BAME children in the criminal justice system.

In 2014 Clinks published the Young Review into improving outcomes for young black and Muslim men in the criminal justice system. Since then we have continued, as members of the Young Review Independent Advisory Group, to drive forward its recommendations.

If you want to discuss issues or solutions, please contact Jessica Mullen.

Becoming an anti-racist organisation

Our aspiration is to make Clinks a truly anti-racist organisation in all we say and do, and how we operate internally and externally. In September 2020, our Board, with the full support of the senior management and wider staff team, committed to this.

Read more about this commitment and the steps we are taking here.

Consultancy support

We are pleased to have secured funding from the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (MoJ and HMPPS) to offer consultancy support to black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) led and specialist organisations working with, or interested in working with, people in contact with the criminal justice system and their families.

This support is part of a wider piece of work being conducted by MoJ and HMPPS to promote and develop opportunities for BAME led and specialist organisations in the voluntary sector to engage with current and future commissioning opportunities. Eligible organisations can access up to five days of support which will be tailored to their needs. One aim of the funding is to help organisations identify and overcome any potential barriers to engaging with the new probation arrangements and other statutory partners, but we hope it can extend beyond this to more generally build the capacity of specialist organisations led by and focused on supporting the needs of BAME people in the criminal justice system, including diversion and early intervention in England and Wales. Examples of the support available include capacity building, HR, and financial management.

Clinks is administering this funding on behalf of MoJ and HMPPS and we are working with external partners to identify the consultants and training support required.

Organisations do not have to have worked in the criminal justice system before – if you are interested in exploring opportunities to support individuals in the criminal justice system we would love to hear from you.

You must meet the following criteria to be eligible for this opportunity:

  • You are a voluntary organisation (registered charity or incorporated social enterprise) operating in England and Wales
  • Your annual income does not exceed £250,000
  • You are a BAME-led or BAME-specialist organisation.

To apply for this opportunity, we require a short Expression of Interest, which can be accessed at the following link. We encourage organisations to submit their Expressions of Interest as soon as possible.

Click here to complete an Expression of Interest form.

Advising the Ministry of Justice

Clinks provides the chair and secretariat for an advisory group to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group’s (RR3) purpose is to build a strong and effective partnership between voluntary organisations working in the criminal justice system and the MoJ. There are currently two members of the RR3 with expertise and experience in providing specific support to black, Asian and minority ethnic people in contact with the criminal justice system.

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Related publications

Community empowerment approaches - front cover

Community empowerment approaches

An in-depth look at growing rates of racial disparity in our criminal justice system and key principles for effective interventions with people from BAME backgrounds.

Related blogs

Other sources of support

The Lammy Review final report

The Young Review website

Black Training and Enterprise Group

Race Equality Foundation

The Runnymede Trust

Race On The Agenda