Negative Images: A Simple Matter of Black and White? : An Examination of 'Race' and the Juvenile Justice System

A study in two parts of 'race' and sentencing in the juvenile justice system; the impact of pre-sentence reports in contributing to differential sentencing for black youths and the implications for anti-discriminatory social work practice.

That black young people have been subject to unequal treatment in the youth justice system has been the belief of some individuals and groups, reinforced, at best, by anecdotal evidence. Negative Images: A Simple Matter of Black and White? provides not only evidential weight to uphold this view but also provides some insights into the processes by which it comes about. Findings of a case study detailed in the book demonstrate how in one youth court black youths were over-represented amongst those receiving high-tariff sentencing and that this over-representation could not be explained by seriousness or persistence of offending. Whilst responsibility for differential sentencing has often been laid at the door of Magistrates, this study reveals how social work court report practice may be contributing to the situation.