Whiter than white Parole Board

Caroline Corby, the new Chairwoman of the Parole Board has said it is a significant concern that none of its 240 members is black. She also said just 13 members of the Board was from an ‘ethnic minority’. Saying; ‘We all know the lack of BAME within the criminal justice system is a disgrace, there should be a greater diversity within the CJS. It is a disgrace that we still have such low figures for BAME workers within the CJS. After all these years it is time things changed’.

But this is also about BAME representation in the whole industry – Courts, police, Parole Board, Prison Staff all have the lowest visibility. The CJS is still not seen as a go-to employer by the BAME community. The MacPherson Inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence back in 1999, specifically dealt with the role of well-intentioned racism in perpetrating historic problems and failures of a colour-blind approach.

While the CJS enjoy their colour-blindness, people of ethnic backgrounds are getting on with having no choice but to live with the reality of institutional racism within the system. The fact that BAME people reveal the prejudice they face is testament to the extent that it exists and to simply suggest that they are ‘playing the victim’ is positively offensive.