Disquieting Figures
| Date | 01 December 1989 |
| Published date | 01 December 1989 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455058903600417 |
| Author | Quentin Fowler |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
196
properly
resourced
social
work
service
to
those
appearing
before
the
courts,
particularly
those
at
risk
of
a
remand
in
custody.
This
service
should
clear-
ly
be
based
on
client
need
and
should
include
assistance
with
access
to
ac-
commodation
provision
and
legal,
medical
and
welfare
benefits
advice,
thereby
maximising
a
defendant’s
op-
portunity
to
press
for
the
right
to
bail.
It
should
not,
however,
be
the
role
of
probation
staff
to
provide
the
CPS
with
verification
of,
or
comment
on,
a
defendant’s
personal
circumstances
as
such
enquiries
undermine
the
prin-
ciples
of
the
Bail
Act.’
Disquieting
Figures
111
the
introduction
to
Ruth
Chiqwada’s
article
(PJ
September
1989)
it
states
’Black
women
now
represent
18%
of
the
rising
female
prison
population.’
I
I
believe
this
is
an
under-estimate
of
the
current
position.
The
March
1989
Home
Office
Statistical
Department
analysis
of
the
prison
population
reveals
that
28%
of
women
prisoners
were
black
(22%
of
whom
were
described
as
being
of
’West
In-
dian/Guyanese/African
origin’).
At
two
prisons
(Holloway,
and
Cookham
Wood)
the
population
of
black
prisoners
was
as
high
as
41 %,
and
at
a
third
(Bullwood
Hall)
it
was
39%.
In
contrast,
around
16%
of
male
prisoners
are
black.
There
seems
to
be
three
factors
which
are
likely
to
in-
crease
the
proportion
of
black
prisoners
in
a
particular
institution.
One
has
already
been
highlighted;
there
is
a
higher
proportion
of
black
women
in
women’s
prisons
than
black
men
in
male
establishments.
The
se-
cond
is
location;
there
is
a
much
higher
proportion
of
black
prisoners
in
in-
stitutions
in
the
south-east.
Whereas
nationally
15 %
of
men
in
local
prisons
are
black,
in
the
south-east
the
propor-
tion
is
2G%.
The
third
factor
concerns
remand
prisoners,
which
is
particularly
evident
in
the
south-east
region.
In
re-
mand
prisons
in
the
south~east,
the
proportion
of
blacks
is
37%;
in
one
in-
stitution
(Latchmere
House)
the
pro-
portion
is
as
high
as
60%.
These
figures
are
disquieting,
to
say
the
least.
The
reasons
for
why
such
a
high
proportion
of
prisoners,
both
male
and
female,
are
black
is
an
area
which
is
crying
out
for
investigation.
Quentin
Fowler
SPO
(Research),
West
Yorkshire
(continued
from
page
185)
Is
the
aim
of
making
conciliation
clear
and
unambiguous
so
overriding
that
it
means
conciliation
must
be
taken
out
of
a
court
context?
On
the
figures
given
in
this
research,
concilia-
tion
-
even
in
court
-
is
effective
in
reaching
agreements.
Some
lack
of
consumer
satisfaction
in
the
A
schemes
does
not
apparently
undermine
their
effectiveness.
Moreover,
why
cannot
the
researchers
see
the
positives
of
the
B
scheme?
The
B
schemes,
if
extend-
ed,
would
reach
large
numbers
of
peo-
ple,
produce
agreements
and
quite
high
levels
of
satisfaction.
This
research
is
adult-centred,
concerned
to
avoid
pressures
and
con-
fusions
for
adults.
I
suggest
it
is
not
suf-
ficiently
concerned
about
the
pressures
and
confusions
suffered
by
children.
Nonetheless,
whilst
we
are
bound
to
resist
the
naive
views
of
the
researchers
advocating
a
total
split
between
con-
ciliation
and
reporting
-
and
the
report
shows
that
most
Welfare
Of-
ficers
do
not
think
these
are
mutually
exclusive
activities
-
we
can
be
heartened
by
the
recognition
here
that
conciliation is
about
adult
emotions
and
not
jsut
a
narrow
task-centred
ap-
proach
to
custody
and
access
issues.
Report
to
the
Lord
Chancellor
on
the
Costs
and
Effectiveness
of
Con-
ciliation
in
England
and
Wales,
Newcastle
Conciliation
Project
Unit,
March
1989.
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