Data also shows black defendants more likely to be held in prison – yet more likely to be acquitted

Black defendants spend on average more than 70% longer in prison awaiting trial and sentencing in England and Wales than their white counterparts, according to new data revealing racial disparities at the heart of the criminal justice system.

Figures obtained by the Guardian and Liberty Investigates through the Freedom of Information Act show the mean number of days spent on remand by black prisoners last year was 302 – compared with 177 days for white remand prisoners. Criminal justice NGO Fair Trials found that of 3,478 black people remanded in custody in 2021, 14% were acquitted at trial. In the same year, 17,538 white people were remanded in custody, but only 8% of these were subsequently acquitted.

Defendants of all minority ethnic backgrounds spend considerably longer on remand than white defendants in prisons in England and Wales, according to the Ministry of Justice data.

In 2022, mixed-race prisoners spent an average of 272 days on remand, while Asian prisoners were held for an average of 262 days.

Read full article in the Guardian: Black remand prisoners held 70% longer than white counterparts in England and Wales

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