Young Offender Institutions: Ethnic Groups

Ministry of Justice written question – answered at on 2 August 2019.

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Photo of Ruth Jones Ruth Jones Labour, Newport West

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many BAME young people were held in young offender institutions and secure units in (a) Wales, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) England and (d) Scotland in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Photo of Edward Argar Edward Argar The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice

Figures published on 12th July 2019 showed that in May of this year, out of a total of 830 children, the ethnicity was known for 811 children, out of which the number of children from a Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic background held within the youth custodial estate was 408 in England and 7 in Wales. Overall, this represents 51% of the youth custodial estate population for which the ethnicity was known across England and Wales. These figures are provisional, and might change as more data is reported.

Snapshots of the youth custody data are published monthly, showing the percentage of children in custody who are from a Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic background. Although there are monthly fluctuations, over the year 2018/19 an average of 48% of children in custody in England and Wales were from a Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic background.

The MoJ does not hold figures for Northern Ireland and Scotland.

We accepted every recommendation made in David Lammy’s review of racial disparities in the criminal justice system and have since been reviewing fairness of sentence outcomes and working to improve understanding of legal advice and options for Black, Asian and ethnic minority children.

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