Statistics on Race and

the Criminal Justice

System 2016
England and Wales

Population ethnic diversity

Census 2011 population aged 10+*
3% 6%
87% Black Asian
White 2% 2% Chinese
Mixed or Other
*Adapted from data from the Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0

Victims: Perceptions vs. Reality

The Mixed ethnic group were more likely to be victims of crime, despite the relatively low perceived likelihood for this group.

% of adults who believe it is very or fairly likely they % of adults who were a victim of one or more
would be a victim of crime in the next year personal crimes in the past year

26 28
21 22
18

7.4
3.6 5.0 4.1
2.6
White Black Asian Mixed Chinese White Black Asian Mixed Chinese
or Other or Other

Police Activity
Both arrest and stop and search rates vary greatly between ethnicities, with the highest rates for Black individuals.

Stop and search rates per

1,000 members of the population Arrest rates per 1,000 members
of the population

White 4 White 13
Black 29 Black 47
Asian 8 Asian 16
Mixed 6 Mixed 30
Chinese
or Other 9 Chinese
or Other 15

Prosecutions Sentencing
Black and Mixed defendants had the highest number Black and Mixed defendants were more likely to be
of prosecutions per 1,000 members of the population, sentenced per 1,000 members of the population,
for indictable offences. for indictable offences.
16
13
9
7
4 5 4 4 4 3

White Black Asian Mixed Chinese White Black Asian Mixed Chinese
or Other or Other

Guilty Plea Rate

White defendants were more likely to plead guilty at Crown Court.

White 71%
Black 58%
Asian 59%
Mixed 64%
Chinese
or Other 56%

Conviction ratio
White offenders had the highest conviction ratio, for indictable offences

86% 81% 80% 81% 81%

White Black Asian Mixed Chinese or Other

Custody rate
Asian offenders were more likely to receive a custodial sentence, possibly associated with variations in offence types
between ethnicities.

White 31%
Black 31%
Asian 35%
Mixed 32%
Chinese
or Other 33%

Average Custodial Sentence lengths

Asian and Black defendants received the longest average custodial sentence lengths, possibly associated with
variations in offence types between ethnicities.

18 months
White

24 months
Black

25 months
Asian

21 months
Mixed

23 months
Chinese
or Other

Prisons
There were more Black and Mixed individuals in prison compared to other ethnicities, per 10,000 members of the
population aged 15 or over.

White 15
Black 75
Asian 24
Mixed 52
Chinese
or Other 13

Parole Board hearings Reoffending

White individuals were the most likely to be released from prison Of all offenders 29% go on to reoffend, this
following a Parole Board hearing. was slightly higher for Black offenders.

Proportion released:
50% 44% 40% 48% 31% 34%

White Black

25% 20%
White Black Asian Mixed

Asian Other

Practitioners
Compared to the working-age population, CJS practitioners are generally less likely to be non-White.

Population Police Officers CPS MoJ Magistrates Judiciary NOMS

14% 6% 19% 20% 11% 11% 7%

86% 94% 81% 80% 89% 89% 93%

= White = Non-White