Citation

Waters R. Br. J. Criminol. 1988; 28(1): 82-94.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article reviews some of the American literature on race and criminal justice, placing the contemporary British debate in a wider context. Two empirical studies of probation officers' social inquiry reports (n=24 and n=41) are described, whereby a multi-racial panel scrutinised the contents of the first sample of reports on black and Asian defendants, commenting on how race, ethnicity and culture were described. This experience was instrumental in formulating a typology, classifying the reports according to their dominant theme: Culture Conflict, Racial Marginality, and the "Alien" Offender. This typology is presented for testing in other areas. It is suggested that these two studies present probation officers' reports in a more positive light than earlier studies.