Ethnicity and Crime

The relationship between ethnicity and crime is one of the most sensitive and politically charged topics in sociology. Official statistics in England and Wales consistently show that some ethnic minority groups — particularly Black individuals — are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. The key sociological question is whether this over-representation reflects real differences in offending rates or bias and discrimination within the criminal justice system.

Key Definition: Institutional racism refers to the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic origin, as defined by the Macpherson Report (1999).

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Ethnicity and the Criminal Justice System: Key Statistics