Probation officers slam ethnic questionnaire
01 January 1991
Probation officers slam ethnic questionnaire
artdoc July=1991
The National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) has
issued a statement to probation officers in England and
Wales urging them not to comply with a Home Office request
that they specify the ethnic origin of offenders.
The Home Office, which recently distributed an ethnic
monitoring form to probation staff, claims that the
information recorded from the survey will help them to
identify discrimination practices within the criminal
justice system. A spokesperson for NAPO says, however, that
officers should record whether offenders are black or white
and not their ethnic origin. Vice-chairman of NAPO, Helen
Schofield is convinced that `black skin, not nationality,
gives rise to racist behaviour on the part of many white
people. We fail to understand how asking our black clients
to disclose their nationality to the Home Office will
eliminate racism.' (Times 7.1.91; Caribbean Times 22.1.91)
IRR Police-Media Bulletin no 67. Institute of Race
Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London WC1X 9HS