Race, Reports and Sentencing
| Published date | 01 September 1999 |
| Date | 01 September 1999 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455059904600309 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
197
Race,
Reports
and Sentencing
This
study
was
conducted
10
years
after
a
similar
survey
in
1987,
of
663
pre-
sentence
reports
and
related
sentencing
outcomes.
That
earlier
research
concluded
that
Black
and
Asian
offenders
who
had
committed
offences
at
similar
levels
of
seriousness
were
more
likely
than
White
offenders
to
be
sent
to
prison
and
fined;
less
likely
to
receive
probation
orders;
and
much
less
likely
to
be
given
community
service
orders.
It
also
found
that
report
writers
did
not
consistently
consider
the
same
range
of
sentencing
options
for
all
groups.
This
more
recent
survey
involved
analysis
of
8,000
reports
over
an
18
month
period
between
January
1996
and
June
1997.
It
finds
&dquo;no
evidence
of
overall
differences
in
report
proposals
or
sentencing
in
the
Magistrates’
Court
to
the
obvious
disadvantage
of
Black
offenders&dquo;.
However,
given
the
higher
proportion
of
the
latter
dealt
with
in
the
Crown
Court,
the
author
concludes
that
there
ought
to
be
fewer
Black
people
receiving
custodial
sentences
in
the
Magistrates
Court.
There
is
a
more
obvious
difference
in
treatment
of
Asian
offenders.
While
sentencing
differences
between
them
and
White
people
have
narrowed,
a
greater
use
of
custody
for
Asians
appears
to
be
related
to
a
lower
proportion
of
proposals
for
probation
orders
and
a
lower
take-up
of
such
proposals
by
sentencers.
As
a
result,
the
main
practice
recommendation
is
that
report
writers
and
sentencers
should
give
greater
consideration
to
probation
and
’probation
plus’
proposals
for
Black
and
Asian
offenders.
Closing
the
gap:
Race,
Reports
and
Sentencing
in
West
Yorkshire
Magistrates’ Courts
,
by
Rob
Voakes,
November
1998.
Copies
are
available
from
the
Library,
West
Yorkshire
Probation
Service
Headquarters,
Cliff
House,
Sandy
Walk,
Wakefield,
WF1
2DJ,
£3.
Drug
Treatment
Works
This
NACRO
report
summarises
the
evidence
for
the
link
between
drug
use
and
criminal
activity,
and
brings
together
research
findings
showing
that
treatment
and
prevention
are
more
effective
than
custodial
punishments
at
reducing
drug-
related
crime.
One
of
the
most
interesting
prevention
projects
it
cites
is
’Project
Charlie’,
an
educational
programme
for
primary
school
children
in
Hackney,
London.
It
sought
to
reduce
drug
misuse
by
improving
children’s
decision-making
skills,
their
ability
to
resist
peer
pressure,
their
self
esteem
and
knowledge
of
the
harm
that
drugs
can
do.
A
follow-up
study
between
1991
and
1993
showed
that
at
the
age
of
14
the
sample
had
more
negative
attitudes
to
drugs
than
those
in
control
groups,
were
significantly
less
likely
to
have
used
illegal
drugs
and
tobacco,
and
had
a
significantly
greater
ability
to
resist
peer
pressure
to
use
drugs.
Other
main
points:
.
The
number
of
people
convicted
or
cautioned
for
drugs
offences
quadrupled
between
1987-1997.
.
More
than
two-thirds
of
the
~1.4
billion
spent
on
drugs
in
1997-8
was
spent
on
law
enforcement,
and
less
than
a
third
on
prevention
and
treatment.
’
Over
a
third
of
serious
or
persistent
young
offenders
have
drug
or
alcohol
problems.
.
The
cost
of
drug-related
crime
far
outstrips
the
cost
of
providing
treatment
services -
the
financial
cost
of
a
heavy
heroin
user
who
steals
to
fund
his/her
habit
is
equivalent
to
the
salaries
of
three
arrest
referral
scheme
workers.
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