What discussions has the Counsel General had with the UK Government and other partners regarding the use of pre-sentencing reports and disparities based on race or ethnicity?
Responsibility for the pre-sentencing reports process in England and Wales lies with the UK Government. The Minister for Social Justice meets regularly with the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation to discuss collaborative ways to progress our Programme for Government commitments on reducing crime and reoffending along with wider justice matters.
We are committed to working with partners to tackle racism in the justice system. Following the publication of our Anti-Racist Action Plan for Wales, we are working with Criminal Justice in Wales partners, including Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service in Wales, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and Policing in Wales, to develop an anti-racist action plan for the Welsh criminal justice system. This plan will be published later this year.
We continue to use our influence wherever we can to enact systemic change and improve outcomes for the people of Wales across the justice system.