Ethnicity, Crime And Justice

Question 1

Racism and the criminal justice system patterns

Answer 1

Policing- oppressive policing such as mass stop and searching. Excessive surveillance, over policed and under protected.
Stop and search- 7 x more likely, Asian people are 3x more likely

Question 2

Explanations of patterns

Answer 2

Reflect the possibility of ethnic groups being more likely to offend
Police racism, they discriminate against minorities
Demographic factors- they are over represented in youth, unemployment.

Question 3

Arrest and cautions

Answer 3

Once arrested black and Asian people are less likely to receive a caution.
Prosecution and trial- CPS dropped cases against white people. Black and Asian people are more likely to elect for crown court due to a lack of trust of magistrates.
Sentencing and prison- jail sentences are given to more black offenders. Black men are in all situations 5% more likely to be jailed
Black men 5x more likely to be in prison
Ethnic minorities less likely to be granted bail.

Question 4

Left realist explanations for offending

Answer 4

Lea and Young
Crime is a product of relative deprivation, subculture and marginalisation
Consumerism goals but lack of opportunities.
Racist policing often leads to unjustified criminalisation
However, even police racism should not effect crime statistics
Police racism does not explain reasons for high conviction rates of black people but not Asian people.

Statistic are real, caused by deprivation and marginalisation

Question 5

Neo Marxism - black crime as a construct

Answer 5

Gilroy and hall - social construct
Gilroy- created by racist stereotypes, groups are no more criminal than any other ethnic group, CJS acts on stereotypes and criminalises ethnic groups,
Crime is an act of resistance to politics which was rooted from British imperialism.
Most black and Asian people originated in former British colonies where they had to resist oppression.
Political struggle was criminalised by British state.

Question 6

Hall et al - policing the crisis 1970s- moral panic over black muggers

Answer 6

Times of crisis ruling class cannot maintain order. Emergence of moral panic at same time of crisis of capitalism - distract attention from true cause of societies problems. Divided working class and weakened opposition to capitalism.

Question 7

Modern explanations of ethnic differences in crime

Answer 7

Neighbourhoods factors- more likely to live in areas with higher crime. Poor white and black people commit the same amount of crime

Getting caught- black people commit crimes which victims can identify them eg robbery