More black people jailed in England and Wales proportionally than in US | Society | The Guardian: The proportion of black people in prison in England and Wales is higher than in the United States, a landmark report released today by the Equality and Human Rights Commission reveals.
The commission's first triennial report into the subject, How Fair is Britain, shows that the proportion of people of African-Caribbean and African descent incarcerated here is almost seven times greater to their share of the population. In the United States, the proportion of black prisoners to population is about four times greater.
The report, which aims to set out how to measure 'fairness' in Britain, says that ethnic minorities are 'substantially over-represented in the custodial system'. It suggests many of those jailed have 'mental health issues, learning disabilities, have been in care or experienced abuse'.
