As a black child growing up in one of the poorest parts of west London, I witnessed first-hand the daily struggles of minority communities, and the impact of over-policing and bias in the criminal justice system.
I watched as many of my peers fell victim to the cycle of poverty, crime and mistreatment by a system with obvious flaws, and became determined to work to end the discrimination against minority communities in the criminal justice system (CJS).
In particular, I have focused on youth crime and have worked to provide support for young people whose background is similar to mine – and by that I mean lacking some of the support to maximise the opportunities provided by this country. I have worked with youth groups for over 25 years, and know that while young people need support in dealing with crime, parents also need to be educated and provided with support networks within their neighbourhoods.
Conservative London-wide Assembly Member Shaun Bailey shares his thoughts on the Lammy Review over on Clinks’ blog here