Page 33 - Urban Kapital Magazine Autumn 21

The number of self-harm incidents in child
prisons increased by 35%, to about 2,500.
For both measures, these were the high-
est number of incidents in the last five
years.

The proportion of black children cautioned
or sentenced has been increasing over the
last 10 years and is now double what it
was in 2010.

(12% compared with 6%). In the same
period, the average custodial sentence
length given to children has increased
by more than seven months, from 11.3 to
18.6 months.

The equalities minister, Liz Truss, recently
suggested that claims of structural racism
in the UK were “evidence-free”.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said
they are working across government
to tackle the deep-rooted causes of the
over-representation of BAME children in
the criminal justice system – including
practical work on diversion and improving
support for frontline justice services.

David Lammy commented:
“It is a national scandal that more than
half of young people locked up are from
a black, Asian or ethnic minority back-
ground, instead of denying the reality of
structural racism, it is time for the govern-
ment to finally act like black lives matter.”

MAGAZINE // 33