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<p>We recognise that race disparities persist in the Criminal Justice System, and
we are committed to identifying and addressing disparities under the axiom of ‘explain
or reform’ laid out in the Lammy Review. And though we acknowledge that Black people
are overrepresented amongst those sentenced to prison for a first-time drug offence,
this falls short of the reported 10-fold figure.</p><p> </p><p>Recent data indicates
that the main drivers of this overrepresentation lie upstream of the point of prosecution.
The government’s data on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2020"
target="_blank">Outcomes by Offence</a> shows that relative to Black individuals being
prosecuted for drug possession, a similar proportion go on to be sentenced for the
same offence (15% of individuals identified as Black during prosecution and at the
point of sentencing). At the point of sentence, in 2020, 3% of Black individuals were
sentenced to immediate custody as a proportion of all Black individuals sentenced
for drug possession, which was the same rate as for White individuals, also 3%. These
figures suggest that upon reaching prosecution, Black individuals receive outcomes
at similar rates to White counterparts. This mirrors the findings of the report from
the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, and our ambitious response - the <em>Inclusive
Britain</em> strategy, which highlighted the importance of a whole system approach.</p><p>Whilst
sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, we are committed to tackling the
deep-rooted reasons why people from ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the criminal
justice system, including the disproportionate criminalisation of ethnic minorities
for drug offences. As set out in <em>Inclusive Britain</em> we have committed to exploring
a wide range of schemes to divert people away from the CJS for possession, where appropriate,
and will share what works best with police services around the country.</p>
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