2007年VOA标准英语-British Parliament Report Finds Racial Bias in

By Tendai Maphosa
London
21 June 2007

The perception that young black Britons are more likely to get involved in crime is being countered by a recently released report that details racial profiling and discrimination in the British legal system.  Tendai Maphosa reports for VOA from London that there is hope the report could help authorities address crime in the British black community.

British Parliament

The parliament committee report says records show a disproportionate representation of young black people at all stages of the criminal justice system.  It notes that black children constitute less than three percent of Britain's population aged¹ 10 to 17, but represent nearly nine percent of that age group arrested in England and Wales.

The report says black children are more likely to be stopped and searched by the police, less likely to be given unconditional² bail³ and more likely to be remanded in custody⁴ than white young offenders⁵.  Young black people and those of 'mixed' ethnicity are likely to receive more punitive⁶ sentences than young white people. 

The report also points to evidence that supports allegations of direct or indirect discrimination in policing and the youth justice system.
 
A spokesman for the government-funded Commission for Racial Equality, Nick Johnson, said there is, what he called, an in-built racial bias⁷ in the system.  He added that the current Tony Blair-led government had made some very slow progress in trying to address the issue, describing its efforts as 'trying to stick plaster on it'.  He said the report is a wake-up call for government to seriously deal with the issue.

"This report brings everything together in one place for the first time," Johnson said. "Also we are about to have a change of prime minister and a new focus in government that provides a real window of opportunity for issues like this to be looked at in a different way and this report's timing⁸ then could not be better because it is sitting there waiting for a new home secretary to pick it up when they come in next week."

Uanu Seshmi is a co-founder of the From Boyhood to Manhood Foundation, an organization that offers support to young black boys excluded from school and involved with gangs, drugs and violence. 

Seshmi agrees with the report that there is a crisis, but also sees it as a turning point.  He says he is relieved the report confirms what the black community always knew; that blacks face discrimination in the justice system.
 
"They choose to ignore black people, they say we are trouble makers⁹ and we are just making excuses, but now that parliament and some of those good people have discovered that what we are talking about is true, I have to say let us move on from here," Seshmi said.
 
Seshmi bemoaned¹⁰ the fact that according to the report three in four young black men would soon be on the national DNA¹¹ database, while white criminals are less likely to be on the database.
 
The report mentions issues such as social exclusion¹², poverty, educational under-achievement, a lack of role models and the lack of a father figure in most female-headed families as contributing to the problem. 

But Marvin Osemwegie a 20-year-old who was kicked out of school and ended up at the From Boyhood to Manhood Foundation project said he felt being marginalized in a white society is more a problem than the lack of a father in the family.
 
"A lack of role models is definitely a big issue," Osemwegie said. "But let us not get confused, there is a lot of fatherless kids out there that are doing well for themselves; likewise there are a lot of kids with fathers, my father was always there, but I still messed about so it is an issue but it is not a major issue."

Osemwigie, who is now in college, said while he feels that he may not have the same opportunity as white youngsters with the same qualifications, he refuses to be a victim and if need be he will create his own opportunities. 

1 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

2 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

3 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

4 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

5 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

6 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

7 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

8 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

9 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 bemoaned   

v.为（某人或某事）抱怨( bemoan的过去式和过去分词 )；悲悼；为…恸哭；哀叹

参考例句：

• The farmer bemoaned his loss. 农夫抱怨他所受到的损失。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He only bemoaned his fate. 他忍受了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

11 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

12 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。