Black women face ‘double disadvantage’ in criminal justice system

Former inmate reveals how wardens treat white and black prisoners differently

BLACK WOMEN in the criminal justice system are facing a “double disadvantage” of gender inequality and racism, according to experts.

Leading organisations working to tackle the stark disparities that racialised women have announced a 10-point action plan demanding that government make urgent practical changes to training, recruitment and accountability to stamp out systemic biases.

Five years on from the Lammy Review, and the Double Disadvantage report, a coalition of experts who work with marginalised and migrant women are also campaigning for the Ministry of Justice to analyse and publish data on racial disparities in women’s contact with the criminal justice system.

Marchu Girma, CEO at Hibiscus, one of the many organisation fighting for the rights of women, said: “Currently there are unacceptable levels of inequalities in the criminal justice system, that result in many black, Asian, minoritised and migrant women suffering.

“In prison there is a lot of discrimination and racism against black and Asian women because of how we look and the colour of our skin”

Ivory, former inmate

“I am certain these inequalities are not mountains that cannot be moved. That is why we have worked with women with lived experience of the criminal justice system and five other expert organisations to develop a clear road map to reducing inequality.

“This 10-point action plan for change provides clear steps that are needed to make a real difference in the lives of the most marginalised women in our community. We have done all the hard work of identifying the changes that are needed to make a real difference, now we urge the government to act.”

Ethnic minority women and migrant women have been to be more likely to face harsher treatment across the criminal justice system.

Many have experienced high levels of abuse with 85% of the women that Hibiscus support revealing that they have experienced gender-based violence which drive them into the criminal justice system, with the majority serving short sentences for non-violent offences.

These women also face additional inequalities through race, immigration and faith inequalities when they encounter the criminal justice system.

The failure to acknowledge and support faith as an important part of their identity can further accentuate their sense of unfairness and marginalisation, while heightening the risk of reoffending.

Ivory, who has experienced time with criminal justice system, told The Voice that she encountered incidents of white women being treated better than other ethnic minority women while in prison.

“In prison there is a lot of discrimination and racism against black and Asian women because of how we look and the colour of our skin.

“I like to chat with them and be around them [the white women] but you can tell that they don’t want to be with blacks. There are some wings [in prison] that only have white and only have black people there.

“The way staff address white people is different, and I suffered bullying because of this… When they are speaking [the prison staff] to the white women, the tone they use is quite different to the tone they use with us [black and Asian women],” she said.

“Being black when you come to this country, you don’t know your rights sometimes…this is an important issue that needs to be urgently looked into and changed. I know we are all different, but we should be treated the same, with the same respect.

“This is why the action plan proposed today is so important because things have to change for us.”

Despite the government making a public commitment to tackle racial disparity in the criminal justice system, but critics argue that the progress has been too slow.

The Female Offender Strategy was published in 2018 but experts believe it does not go far enough to meet the needs of black, Asian, minoritised, and migrant women.

Research has shown that these women from ‘mixed ethnic’ backgrounds are twice as likely to be arrested in comparison to white women and despite enduring extreme levels of discrimination, they continue to have face limited access to specialist support to deal with their circumstances and mental health.

By working alongside women who have experience inequalities in the criminal justice system, political parties and specialist organisations are calling on the government to train criminal justice staff on culture, ethnicity, race, faith, gender and anti-racism.

They also propose that sufficient services are put in place for women dealing with the insecurity of their immigration statuses.

Indy Cross, CEO of Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, said: “It’s a national shame that the criminal justice system consistently fails so many Black, Asian, minoritised, and migrant women.

“The double disadvantage of structural racism and gender inequality in the criminal justice system must be tackled. We are calling on the government to urgently make the changes outlined in our action plan to protect and improve the lives of vulnerable women across the UK.

“Now is a critical time to act, as we build on the momentum to reverse these long-standing trends.”

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1 Comment

  1. | Sophia

    I am in urgent need of help to see my husband there. Due to financial reasons the Home Office has stipulated. It is hard

    Reply

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