ethnicity, crime and justice

• What are the three main sources of statistics on ethnicity and criminalisation?

  Official statistics, victim surveys, self-report studies
• What do official statistics show about ethnic differences in the criminal justice system?

  They show likelihood of involvement varies by ethnicity
• How much more likely are Blacks to be stopped and searched compared to whites?

  7 times more likely
• How much more likely are Blacks to be imprisoned compared to whites?

  5 times more likely
• What can the statistics on ethnic minorities imply about crime?

  Minorities may commit or be suspected of crimes
• What do victim surveys ask victims about?

  Crimes they have been victims of
• What is a limitation of victim surveys?

  They rely on victims' memory
• How do white victims tend to identify offenders in victim surveys?

  They tend to over-identify Blacks as offenders
• What types of crime do victim surveys exclude?

  White collar and corporate crime
• What do self-report studies ask individuals to disclose?

  Crimes they have committed
• What did Graham & Bowling find about offending rates among ethnic groups?

  Blacks and whites had similar rates; Asians lower
• What do sociologists debate regarding ethnic differences in the criminal justice system?

  Whether racism within the CJS causes these differences
• What do the documentaries "Black Lives Matter" and "The Secret Policeman" show?

  Racism in the police force
• What allegations have been made about policing of ethnic communities?

  Oppressive policing practices like mass stop and search
• What do minorities often feel about police protection?

  They feel over-policed and under-protected
• How much more likely are Black people to be stopped and searched compared to white people?

  7 times more likely
• How much more likely are Asian people to be stopped and searched under the Terrorism Act 2000?

  3 times more likely
• What does the Macpherson Report (1999) reveal?

  Evidence of institutional racism in the police
• What is the arrest rate comparison between Black and white people?

  Black people are over 3 times higher
• Why might ethnic minorities not receive a caution after arrest?

  They may not admit to the offence
• What does the CPS decide regarding cases brought by police?

  Whether to prosecute the case
• How does the CPS treat cases against minorities compared to whites?

  More likely to drop cases against minorities
• What is the trend regarding Crown Court trials for ethnic minorities?

  They are more likely to elect for Crown Court trials
• Why might ethnic minorities prefer Crown Court trials?

  Due to mistrust of magistrates' impartiality
• What does the harsher sentencing in Crown Courts suggest?

  Evidence against minorities may be weaker
• What percentage of black offenders receive jail sentences?

  A greater percentage than other groups
• How much more likely are black men to be jailed compared to whites?

  5 times more likely
• What is the trend regarding prison sentences for blacks and Asians?

  They serve longer prison sentences
• What do Lea & Young argue about ethnic differences in crime statistics?

  They reflect real differences in offending
• What factors do Lea & Young associate with crime?

  Relative deprivation, subcultures, marginalisation
• How does racism contribute to crime according to Left Realism?

  It leads to marginalisation and economic exclusion
• What do Gilroy and Hall argue about official statistics?

  They reflect social construction and stereotypes
• What is the "myth of black criminality" according to Gilroy?

  It is a stereotype created by racism
• How does Gilroy view crimes of ethnic minorities?

  As political resistance against a racist society
• What historical context does Gilroy provide for ethnic crime?

  Struggles against British imperialism
• How does Hall describe the moral panic of the 1970s?

  It served the interests of capitalism
• What was the effect of the moral panic about black muggers?

  It distracted from the real causes of problems
• How did Hall et al. view the role of black youths in crime?

  Marginalisation drove some to petty crime
• What do Fitzgerald et al. suggest about street robberies?

  They are highest in poor areas
• What did Sharp & Budd find about black offenders?

  They are more likely to be arrested