Ethnicity, Crime and Justice

Question 1

Minority statistics

Answer 1

• blacks 3% of population but 13% of prison
• asians 6.5% of population, but 7.7% of prison
• blacks 7 times more likely to be stopped and searched than whites, 3.5 more likely to be arrested and five times more likely to be in prison.
• crimes are inter-ethnic black on black
• minorities less likely to be found guilty

Question 2

Explaining stop and searches

Answer 2

1. Police racism- Stephen Lawrence murder investigation showed institutional racism.
2. Ethnic differences in offending- stop and searchers simply reflect ethnic differences in offending- some stop and searchers are random and hear police use stereotypes
3. Demographic factors- groups like the young, unemployed, manual workers and urban dwellers are more likely to be stopped- happens ethnic minorities ,are up a large portion of these groups.

Question 3

Bowling and Phillips

Answer 3

ethnic cases in the crown prosecution are more likely to be dropped. they argue this is because they are arrested on stereotypes rather then evidence

Question 4

Lea and Young (Left Realism)

Answer 4

Ethnic differences in crime are real, racism has marginalised them, they are more likely to be unemployed and In poverty but they still want the materials shown in the media, this makes them commit crime.

Question 5

Gilroy (Neo marxism)

Answer 5

Ethnic criminality is a myth, the way people act on racist stereotypes minorities become criminalised and appear more in official stats. Their crime its resistance to a racist society.

Question 6

Hall et al - policing the crisis

Answer 6

70’s was a time of crisis for capitalism- failing economy and high unrest. They created ‘mugging’ a normal crime with a new name,, it was blamed to be done by black males, and it acted as a scape goat for Thatcher. The moral panic divided the work force against ethnic minorities and reduced the threat to capitalism.

Question 7

FitzGerald- Neighbourhood

Answer 7

Those in poorer areas got involve more in crime, more likely to be surrounded by affluent groups, young blacks were more likely to live in these areas. But when whites lived their they were also more likely so was not ethnicity.