The experiences of black and mixed heritage boys in the youth justice system

In October 2021, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation released their latest findings on the experiences of black and mixed heritage boys in the youth justice system.

From inspecting nine different youth offending services (YOSs), and interviewing over 80 service users in five areas, they found that the quality of service delivery to black and mixed heritage boys tended to be overwhelmingly poorer than that of work delivered to their peers.

Justin Russell, Chief Inspector of HMIP commented: 

"There is a disproportionate number of black and mixed heritage boys in the youth justice system. Addressing this disparity has been a long-standing goal, but we found a lack of clarity and curiosity about why this disparity exists and what needs to be done to change it."

Download the report here to discover more.

In December 2021, HMIP followed up this report with a brand new Effective practice guide: Black and mixed heritage boys in
the youth justice system, for Youth Offending Teams. EQUAL welcomes the guide and encourages probation and prison staff to utilise its lessons.