ethnicity and crime Flashcards
patterns of crime biased on ethnicity
According to the Ministry of Justice (2020), Black people are approximately six times more likely to be stopped and searched and six times more likely to be sent to prison. Asian people are three times more likely to be stopped and searched than White people, but have a similar chance of being sent to prison.
Between April 2020 and March 2021, Black people were over 3 times as likely to be arrested as White people. In addition, Black defendants continued to serve a greater proportion of their original sentence in custody (67% in 2020) when compared with White (60%).
left realism view on ethnicity in crime
Left realism: This approach assumes that official crime statistics are correct – some ethnic groups are more likely to commit crime than others. They argue that people from ethnic minority groups are more likely to experience relative deprivation and marginalisation, and are more likely to join delinquent subcultures than white people. This means they are more likely to commit crime.
why are ethnic minorities more likely to experience marginalisation and how does this lead to them committing crime
why are ethnic minorities more likely to experience relative deprevation and how does this lead to them committing crime
why are ethnic minorities more likely to experience subcultures and how does this lead to them committing crime
neo marxist view on ethnicity and crime
Gilroy argues that ethnic minority crime is a political resistance against a racist society which stereotypes and criminalises black people. Hall et al agree, and apply these Neo-Marxist ideas to the creation of the black mugger in their study ‘Policing the Crisis’. Hall et al found that black people were used as scapegoats and criminalised by the media. They argue that high levels of crime among black communities is a symbol of hostility between police and black communities and a form of resistance from black people in response to racist stereotyping and labelling.
environmental approaches to ethnicity crime
Fitzgerald argued that neighbourhood factors could explain the involvement of black youths in street robbery. Rates of street crime are highest in poor areas where very deprived young people come into contact with more affluent groups. It was found that young black people are more likely to live in these areas and be poor due to racial discrimination in terms of housing and employment.
racism in the cjs
Phillips and Bowling (2012) suggest that the link between crime and ethnic minorities is a socially constructed fabrication – a product of racial prejudice within the police and a direct discrimination against black and Asian communities. This offers a critical response to explanations of ethnic minority offending, suggesting that perhaps it is not the case that they are more likely to offend, but they are simply more likely to be caught, arrested and charged.
indirect racial discrimination definition
is caused by the rule, policy or practice of an organisation which people of a particular ethnic group are less likely to be able to achieve leave them at a disadvantage.
direct racial discrimination
is caused when a person or group are treated unfairly/ unfavourably as a direct result of their racial, religious or national identities
indirect racial discrimination, mistrust of the police
Minority ethnic suspects are less likely to cooperate with police officers than white suspects, they are also less likely to admit offences during interview. Refusing to admit to offences means that minority ethnic offenders are not eligible for caution or to be released on bail. This also limits their chances for a reduced sentence.
indirect racial discrimination, social position
Minority ethnic groups are more likely than white offenders to display the social characteristics which make a remand in custody more likely than a release on bail – these can include poor housing/ lack of fixed address which is seen as a higher risk.
direct racial discrimination, stop and search
Gilroy identified that in 1998/1999 that police stereotypes and prejudices caused those from black backgrounds to be 6 times more likely to be stopped and searched than those of white groups, while Asian groups are twice as likely. In 2013, the Ministry of Justice reported that this had not changed and black groups were still 6 times more likely to be stopped– however, under new stop and search regulations this rises to 30 times!
direct racial discrimination, institutional racism
Following the investigations of the Macpherson report in 1999 (instigated following the police’s poor investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence) – the Metropolitan Police Force was found to be institutionally racist. In 2008, the Metropolitan Black Police Association warned people from minority ethnic groups about joining the police because of the “hostile atmosphere in which racism is allowed to spread”.
direct racial discrimination, arrest charges and court proceedings
Police officers are more likely to arrest and charge minority ethnic suspects. However, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) were more likely to drop or reduce the sentencing for cases against minority ethnic suspects – this would suggest that the police had insufficient evidence to secure conviction in the first place.
