Ethnicity and Crime (1 - Overview)

Question 1

What are the two main arguments that question why the criminal justice system show striking differences between ethnic groups?

Answer 1

1. some ethnic groups are more likely to offend

2. the CJS is racist and discriminates against ethnic minorities

Question 2

Why might ethnic minorities commit more crime?

Answer 2

• more likely to be poor, unemployed
• lack of opportunities
• despair
• areas where they live might already be plagued with drink and drugs

Question 3

Why are there differences in the criminality of different ethnic groups?

Answer 3

• socialisation differences
• confrontational attitudes
• racism in the system

Question 4

What two different types of stop and search are there?

Answer 4

• where police receive intelligence

- where it is part of a policy where people of a certain discrimination are targetted

Question 5

Victim surveys ask individuals to say what crimes they have been victims of the last 12 months. Black people are significantly over-represented among those identified. Why might this be?

Answer 5

• could be confused reporting
• happens quickly
• victims may be old

Question 6

What is a limitation of victim surveys regarding reporting?

Answer 6

• rely on victims’ memory

- Philips and Bowling: white victims may ‘over-identify’ black people

Question 7

Victims surveys only cover personal crime, what fraction of crime is this?

Answer 7

1/5

Question 8

What is a problem with the fact that victim surveys exclude under 10s?

Answer 8

• ethnic minorities contain a higher proportion of young people that may have been victims and so would expose more white crime

Question 9

Do victim surveys consider corporate crime?

Answer 9

• no

Question 10

Do victim surveys give a representative view of the ethnicity of offenders in general?

Answer 10

• no

Question 11

What do self-report studies ask?

Answer 11

• individuals to disclose their own dishonest and violent behaviour

Question 12

What did Sharp and Budd’s self-report study reveal about class A drugs?

Answer 12

• white people were 4% more likely to have tried class A drugs

Question 13

What is a limitation of self-report studies?

Answer 13

• are inconsistent, depends on where you carry out the research

Question 14

What various stages of the CJS are there that all reveal targetting of minorities?

Answer 14

1. policing
   1a. stop and search
   1b. tasers
   1c. arrests and cautions
2. prosecution and trial
3. sentencing and conviction
4. pre-sentencing reports
5. prison

Question 15

What do Philips and Bowling reveal about policing?

Answer 15

• since the 1970s there have been many allegations of oppressive policing of ethnic minorities
  eg. mass stop and search, paramilitary tactics, excessive surveillance, armed raids, policy violence etc.

Question 16

In the past, what did the police need in order to be able to stop and search someone? How does this allow racism?

Answer 16

• ‘reasonable suspicion’

- could be very subjective as it’s vague

Question 17

What difference to stop and search did the 2000 Terrorism Act make?

Answer 17

• police can stop and search individuals or vehicles whether they have reasonable suspicions or not

Question 18

What do Philips and Bowling comment that members of these communities are likely to believe in response to the adjustments in stop and search?

Answer 18

• that they’re being ‘over policed and under protected’

- have limited faith in the police

Question 19

Does the chance of being involved in the use of taser vary with ethnicity?

Answer 19

• yes

Question 20

Why might black people be so much more likely to be involved in a taser incident?

Answer 20

• are black youths more aggressive to police

- are they more likely to have mental illness

Question 21

What is the first explanation as to why there is a disproportionate use of stop and search against minority groups?

Answer 21

• police racism

Question 22

What is an example of police racism?

Answer 22

• the Macpherson Report on the police investigation of the murder of the black teenager Stephen Lawrence which concluded there was institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police

Question 23

How might individual officers show their deeply ingrained racist attitudes?

Answer 23

• disrespect

- racist language

Question 24

How can the racist stereotypes that the officers hold be perpetuated?

Answer 24

• ‘canteen culture’ of shared racist attitudes eg. swapping stories and stereotypes which become the norm and the embedded perception

Question 25

What is a second explanation as to why there is a disproportionate use of stop and search against minority groups?

Answer 25

- these levels may be a reflection of ethnic levels in offending, particularly for certain crimes

Question 26

What is a third explanation as to why there is a disproportionate use of stop and search against minority groups?

Answer 26

- demographic factors

Question 27

How are demographic factors an explanation of the disproportionate use of stop and search against minority groups?

Answer 27

- ethnic minorities are over represented in the population groups who are most likely to be stopped eg. young, unemployed, urban dwellers - groups are likely to be stopped regardless of ethnicity but they happen to contain a high proportion of ethnic minorities

Question 28

Who are less likely to receive a caution when arrested?

Answer 28

- black people

Question 29

Why might black people be less likely to receive a caution when arrested?

Answer 29

- non-white people/ black people may be more likely to deny an offence and exercise their right to legal advice (possibly out of mistrust) - not admitting an offence means they cannot be given a caution and are more likely to be charged instead

Question 30

During prosecution and trial, who decides whether a case has a realistic prospect of conviction and whether the case is of public interest?

Answer 30

- the Crown Prosecution Service decides whether a case should be brought to trial

Question 31

What explanation do Philip and Bowling offer as to why the CPS is more likely to drop cases against ethnic minorities?

Answer 31

- the police often present weaker evidence that is very clearly based on stereotyping

Question 32

When cases do go ahead, why do ethnic minorities tend to opt for a jury trial at a Crown court rather than a magistrates court?

Answer 32

- more balanced view | - might not trust the objectivity/ impartiality of a white mc male

Question 33

What is the unfortunate reality about the choice of a jury trial at a Crown court?

Answer 33

- if you are found guilty there tends to be a stiffer sentence (especially significant because ethnic minorities tend to plead non-guilty)

Question 34

Who are less likely to be found guilty and why?

Answer 34

- black and Asians, suggests police discrimination has resulted in weaker cases coming to court which are often thrown out

Question 35

Why might the imprisonment of black offenders be higher than whites?

Answer 35

- due to seriousness of the offence | - defendants previous convictions

Question 36

When Hood studied 5 Crown Courts, what did he conclude?

Answer 36

- black men were 5% more likely to receive a custodial sentence and were given sentences on average three months longer than white men

Question 37

What is one possible reason for harsher sentences?

Answer 37

- the Pre-Sentence Report written by Probation Officers

Question 38

What is a Pre-Sentence Report supposed to do/be?

Answer 38

- a risk assessment to assist a magistrate/ judge on an appropriate sentence

Question 39

What did Hudson and Bramhall reveal about the pre-sentence reports? Why might they be unfair to ethnic minorities?

Answer 39

- reports for Asian offenders were less comprehensive and implied they were less remorseful than white offenders - (placed this bias in the context of the demonising of Muslims post 9/11) - fear - language barrier - they don't understand - cultural differences

Question 40

What length sentences are black and Asian offenders more likely to be serving?

Answer 40

- longer sentences of four years +

Question 41

Why is there a higher than average proportion of ethnic minority prisoners on remand?

Answer 41

- crimes are more serious | - may have family abroad they could flee to