Press Release from Parliamentary Black Caucus

About this item

This press release from the Parliamentary Black Caucus dated June 15, 1988, features Bernie Grant MP speaking out against racial disparities in the British criminal justice system. It highlights concerns over the disproportionately harsh sentencing of Black people compared to white offenders. The statement calls on the government to address systemic racism revealed by a recent NACRO report.

Key points:
– Bernie Grant expressed significant concern about racial bias in sentencing shown by the NACRO report.
– Black people in Britain are more likely to receive prison sentences than alternative punishments for similar offences compared to white people.
– Young Black people face especially severe sentencing disparities.
– Grant submitted a formal parliamentary question to Home Secretary Douglas Hurd demanding government action.
– The press release emphasizes that crime should be punished, but not with racial inequality in sentencing.

Bernie Grant was a pioneering figure in Black British politics, known for his advocacy against systemic racism and for social justice within local government and Parliament. This document reflects his early efforts to challenge institutional racial bias in the criminal justice system, a central issue in the broader struggle for racial equality and anti-racist campaigning in Britain during the 1980s.

Source note: The OCR transcript shows some textual noise and fragmented lines, but the overall message and key details remain clear and consistent.