CYP Now - Black minority groups more likely to receive extra days in custody

More than 1,800 days of additional punishment have been handed out at Ashfield YOI in Bristol over more than two years, with young people from black minority groups more likely to be reprimanded, statistics released in parliament have revealed.

The figures show that between January 2010 and the end of April this year, 269 cases involving a breach of prison rules were considered by district judges - the independent adjudicators.

The adjudicators, who have a range of sanctions available, subsequently handed out 1,892 additional days in custody.

Out of a total of 138 boys receiving additional days, 76 were from a black ethnic group (55 per cent), far higher than the proportion of the custodial population at Ashfield, which stood at 29.6 per cent the last time the establishment was inspected in October last year.

Only 32 were from a white background (23.2 per cent), even though the proportion of young people from a white background make up 50.7 per cent of the population.

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