Criminal Justice Anti-Racism Action Plan for Wales
Published on 24 February, 2024.
The Criminal Justice Board for Wales agreed in October 2020 that one of the main priorities for its commitment to race equality would be to advance and develop a transparent and committed Anti-Racism Action Plan for the Criminal Justice System in Wales.
It was clear at the time of global outrage following the death of George Floyd that in Wales we too had our own challenges and public criticism regarding how we serve the interests of ethnic minority people with the need to create a fairer system and society. The protests under the banner of Black Lives Matter have rightly meant that all organisations that make up the Criminal Justice System in Wales have reflected on their practice and performance.
The evidence and supporting data from across the Criminal Justice System including Policing have found clear inequality and disproportionality in relation to the experiences of people from an ethnic minority and showed that this reflected wider evidence of racism within society.
We fully acknowledge that there is a history of racism, unfair treatment and race inequality in the Criminal Justice System and that this is still work to be done and that we need to change. We also understand that racism within society and within Criminal Justice has caused racial trauma for many ethnic minority people in Wales and the UK. Ethnic minority people who experience hate crimes or unfair treatment due to race often feel humiliated or traumatised. This is often due to cumulative, collective and historical racism.
We recognise that the way we work and the systems we use have, in the past, not fully considered ethnic minority needs and experiences. Policing in particular and Criminal Justice generally has often failed to include the perspectives of ethnic minority people and groups. It must also be acknowledged that inter-ethnic tension and racism is an issue and there must be work to better understand this, challenge it, and create an inclusive Criminal Justice System and society. This reality has created a system where ethnic minority people and groups sometimes feel excluded, that their needs and rights are not met, and that they may experience racism.