Young offenders from ethnic minorities will become “the next generation” of criminals unless the justice system is reformed, says MP David Lammy.

A review led by him found the system in England and Wales is biased and discriminates in treatment of people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The Labour MP has made 35 recommendations, including delaying or dropping some prosecutions.

The government said it will “look carefully” at the recommendations.

People from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds make up 25% of the prison population in England and Wales and 41% of the youth justice system, despite these groups being 14% of the general population, the review says.

It has highlighted various “concerning” statistics, including a rise in the proportion of first-time offenders from these backgrounds to 19% – up from 11% – in the past 10 years and an identical increase in the proportion of young people reoffending.

‘Actions matter most’

Mr Lammy said it was “well established” that there was an over-representation of people from minority backgrounds in the criminal justice system, but his report was about looking at their “treatment and outcomes”.

Whilst he does not believe all of the blame lies at the door of the justice system, noting the “broadly proportionate” decision on charging by the Crown Prosecution Service, Mr Lammy said: “It is clear to me that BAME individuals still face bias.”

“Actions matter most,” he added, “and the prescriptions for fair treatment are remarkably similar, whatever the diagnosis of the problem.”

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MP David Lammy has made 35 recommendations to reform the criminal justice system

Trust is one of the major issues, according to the report. It says individuals from these backgrounds do not trust the advice provided by their solicitors or police officers when it comes to pleading guilty.

As a result, the rate of black defendants pleading not guilty in Crown Courts between 2006 and 2014 was 41%, compared with 31% for white defendants – leading to more trials and longer sentences.

Also, when in prison, many BAME men and women believe they are actively discriminated against, which Mr Lammy says “contributes to an atmosphere of ‘us’ and ‘them’ and an urge to rebel, rather than reform.”