Page 65 - JUSTICE Tackling Racial Injustice - Children and the Youth Justice System

diverse and broad range of community representatives, along with experts in
youth justice and race. While designed at a national level, training should be
adapted to the needs of each local area as well as the relevant criminal justice
agency. For instance, training in courts may require more of a focus on
understanding differing expressions of body language between different
cultural groups.

3.18 There is no requirement for the police, CPS 189 or defence representatives to
have specialist training for dealing with child cases, nor cultural competency
or awareness in that context. Although District Judges in Youth Courts receive
some training, as do Youth court magistrates, there is no similar requirement
for judges in Crown Courts and often Recorders (part-time judges) preside over
trials involving child defendants. This lack of specialism can be overcome
where children are well supported and well understood. However, too often
this is not the case for BAME children.

3.19 The training methods and approaches are critical to this aim. For instance,
when asked about the training they received concerning GRT people, the
Working Party heard that police officers considered it would be more
beneficial to spend time in the community. This is particularly important in
policing, as being familiar with communities is likely to lead to less aggressive
approaches, informed by knowledge of the people being policed, bringing
improved assessments of risk and dangerousness. 190 This is vital, especially
where police officers increasingly live outside of the communities they serve.
We consider that anti-racism training programmes should incorporate ‘in
the field’ community engagement, to supplement high-quality desktop-

189 The CPS have a policy, set out in their Youth Offender Guidance, that cases are reviewed by a Youth
Offender Specialist (YOS). However, there is no requirement for the prosecutor in court to have
undertaken any specialist training or be a YOS. Furthermore, the HM Crown Prosecution Service
Inspectorate ‘Review of how the CPS handles serious youth crime’ highlighted that the one day Youth
Offender Training Courts for YOS was a “good starting point from which prosecutors can build their
knowledge, but it does not cover in sufficient detail all the relevant law, practice and policy”(para 3.24).
The Review identified poor handling of youth cases and that YOS were not consistently used to deliver
charging advice (5.26). HMCPSI, Serious Youth Crime: A review of how the CPS handles serious youth
crime, (March 2020).
190 We understand that PJT is utilised in current police training, with unconscious bias and its impact on
communities considered. For instance, videos of the Brixton riots and the consequent Scarman Review
are played during training sessions. However, despite the range of training in the College of Policing’s
Authorised Professional Practice, forces have discretion – within a set of guidelines – on what they wish
to implement. We consider that a more consistent approach is required.

58