Black men and British prisons

Scharene Pryce:

The UK is the most punitive country in Western Europe and the latest figures suggest the number of prisoners hit an all time high in 2003, with 75,544 people being incarcerated.

And here are the demographics of the British prison population:

Ethnic minorities make up 24 percent of the prison population.

16 percent of the country’s inmates are black men, whereas three percent are Asian and 5 percent are classified as ‘other’.

31 percent of the female prison population is also black; although this number also includes women from foreign black communities.

Nonetheless, like their male counterparts, it appears to be a particular issue within the African-Caribbean community.

Related:

One in 100 Black Adults Now in Jail

Black prison population rises 60% under Labour

Twice as many black people in prison as on campus