CYP Now - Rise in black and ethnic minority staff working in youth justice system

The proportion of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff working within the youth secure estate has risen to the highest level in five years as part of efforts to address racial disparities across the youth justice system.

David Lammy previously called for 14 per cent of new recruits to be from BAME backgrounds. Picture: Parliament UK

Figures published by the Ministry of Justice show that the proportion of BAME staff within the youth custody service has risen from 12.9 per cent at the end of March 2016 to 15.9 per cent at the end of June this year.

Following the Lammy review into the treatment of, and outcomes for, BAME individuals in the criminal justice system published in September 2017, the prison service made a commitment that 14 per cent of all new recruits would come from BAME backgrounds by December 2020.

Although progress has been made in relation to diversity within recruitment, Lammy has raised concerns that many of his 35 recommendations to improve the system have been "ignored".

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