The assertion comes after the latest figures revealed that the proportion of black and minority ethnic (BME) children in custody is on the rise despite an overall decline in custody numbers.
Between August 2007 and December 2010, the total number of under-18s in custody dropped from 2,991 to 1,918, a reduction of 35.9 per cent.
But the statistics also show that the rate of decrease is far greater among white young people than those from black or ethnic minority communities, while numbers of Asian children in custody has in fact increased (see graph).
High remand rates
Bob Ashford, YJB director of strategy, said attempts are being made to address the slower progress in bringing down custody levels among BME young people. He said a particular problem exists with remand rates, which remain "stubbornly high" despite a fall in the level of those sentenced to custody.
"We know that black and ethnic minority children, in particular young black people, make up a bigger proportion of young people that are on remand," he said. "The single remand order outlined in the sentencing green paper (which will gradually make local authorities responsible for the cost of remand) will be a lever to engage local authorities," he said. "One of the areas they must look at is disproportionality."
During the 40-month period, the number of white children in custody dropped from 2,175 to 1,215, a decrease of 44.1 per cent, but the number of black children in custody fell by only 16 per cent (from 395 to 330).
The number of Asian children in custody rose by 42 per cent (from 91 to 129), while the number of mixed race children in custody fell at a similar rate as the white population (46 per cent) from 206 to 112.
According to Ashford, recent studies, including one by the YJB, have reaffirmed worries that the figures indicate a significant correlation with areas of high deprivation.
He said Leeds and Redbridge in London, both areas with high levels of deprivation and a mix of ethnic communities, have had particular problems with levels of BME young people in custody.
In Leeds, work has taken place to address over-representation, with targeted prevention programmes launched in areas identified as largely contributing to the problem.
During this work it was found that the under-representation of white children disappeared when analysing smaller local areas of deprivation, where there were fewer white children.
Targeted prevention
"In the last four or five years we have targeted our prevention programmes on those areas of highest deprivation, with a particular focus on work with young people in the black and ethnic minority community," said Jim Hopkinson, head of the youth offending service in Leeds. "It is essential to understand demographics and offending patterns in areas of high deprivation."
But Tony Sewell, director of Generating Genius, a charity that helps black and mixed-race boys achieve educational success, said he believes family breakdown and lack of education, rather than issues around deprivation, are a key driver for the over-representation.
"A lot of it is about how you begin to tackle the issue of getting students properly educated and feeling they belong to mainstream society," he said. "I am not totally convinced this is all about poverty. It is more about how we use things like psychological services and how you offer young males, in particular, activity that helps them to get jobs and feel fulfilled.
"Early intervention projects that are practical, fulfilling and start working with families young are the kinds of thing we should be doing more of."
