Let's get it right: race and justice 2000 - Nacro

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eparation and community orders which will helpthem to avoid reoffending.— Any inequality in the use of custody (remand orsentenced) for young people is promptly detectedand investigated.Anti-social behaviour orders, parenting orders,local child curfewsThere is a risk that indirect discrimination could affectthe fairness of the decision-making process relating tothese new powers. Decision making on whatconstitutes anti-social behaviour, or who is a goodparent, can be a highly subjective area. Everyone hasdifferent views about these subjects. Use of the neworders must be subject to monitoring and review toensure they do not have a disproportionate or unfairimpact on any section of the community.Just as importantly, at local level agencies must look intodifferences shown by monitoring results to find out whatlies behind them, and develop strategies to correct anyproblems uncovered in the process.Ethnic monitoring systems are more widely in place.Ethnic monitoring in principle is widely accepted. What isneeded now is an understanding of how to identify whatlies behind the figures, and how to act on the results.ConclusionThis report has tried to chart some of the milestones sincethe Scarman report. There is no doubt that much has beenachieved and many changes have been made. It is clearthat it has not been enough. Each chapter of this reporthas a set of practical action points to take these changesfurther.Human Rights Act 1998This Act is likely to have far-reaching implications as arights-based approach to race and criminal justice isdeveloped. It may take some time for case law to bedeveloped. In the meantime, adopting an underlyingapproach that is based on rights can be used, together withthe audit of practice and procedures above, to bring abouta very fundamental shift. Instead of crisis-ridden, stickingplaster problem solving, criminal justice agencies canreview their services to make sure they meet the rights ofall members of society to fair and non-discriminatoryjustice. Instead of locating the problem ‘out there’, arights-based approach will by its very nature tacklestructural and institutional inequality.The watershed will pass. The need for continuous changeand action will remain. It is essential that the momentumis kept up. This report ends with the final words of theStephen Lawrence Inquiry Report – which say it all:‘This may then be the start of the beginning ofchange.’Ethnic monitoring: review andactionThe monitoring that was given such a boost by Section 95of the 1991 Criminal Justice Act, and related researchreports, have been invaluable in helping to identify moreexactly the crunch points in the system. Ethnic monitoringneeds to be expanded to cover all agencies in the system,and in particular those key decision-making points wherediscretion is involved. One crucial area – currently a largehidden area – is sentencing decisions.As new legislation is introduced and new policyformulated, it should become automatic that provisionsfor ethnic monitoring, review and action are included.58
CHAPTER10Summary ofaction pointsCRIMINAL JUSTICE CONSULTATIVECOUNCIL AND AREA CRIMINALJUSTICE LIAISON COMMITTEESCHAPTER 3Criminal Justice Consultative Council must give anew lead to Area Criminal Justice Liaison Committees(ACJLCS) on work on race.Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Stephen LawrenceInquiry Report and Human Rights Act 1998 must setagenda for Area Criminal Justice Liaison Committees.Area Committees must raise their profiles in localcommunities and open channels of communication.Home Office and Lord Chancellor’s Department mustprovide more resources to enable ACJLCS to be moreproactive at local level.RESEARCH AND MONITORINGCHAPTER 4Police monitoring should extend to victims of crimeand clear up rates for different communities.The CPS monitoring of casework decisions should beimplemented as speedily as possible.Monitoring of sentencing decisions at bothmagistrates’ courts and Crown Courts should beintroduced urgently.Self-classification systems should be used by allagencies (once paperwork starts, whether for someonereporting a crime or for a suspect, the person shouldbe asked to classify their own ethnic origin).A standardised and flexible computer system for thewhole criminal justice system should be providedwhich is capable of reacting to changes such as the2001 Census.Guidance is needed for local managers as to how tointerpret and make best use of monitoring to improveservices.59
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Let’sget itrightRace and Justice
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ContentsForeword page 21 A decade o
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RACE AND JUSTICE 2000trade unions,
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RACE AND JUSTICE 2000CHAPTER 1 A DE
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Page 65 and 66: BIBLIOGRAPHYBland et al (1999), ‘
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Let's get it right: race and justice 2000 - Nacro

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