ABSTRACT
Traditionally, the criminal justice system has recruited and empowered a monochromatic section of society to deliver and implement justice; typically carried out by White men. Meanwhile, minority communities and underrepresented groups such as black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups (BAME); lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans communities (LGBT+); and women, have been historically over-policed, persecuted, or neglected by key criminal justice institutions. Issues of marginalisation in relation to race, gender, and sexuality have led to lasting tensions and mistrust between diverse groups and criminal justice agencies. Such tensions have raised questions over the validity and legitimacy of the criminal justice system’s treatment of these groups. Key landmark events, such as the Wolfenden Report, the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, and the Brixton Riots, have therefore led to changes in how justice is delivered to diverse groups. In response to these events, calls for diverse groups to be included in criminal justice agencies, practices, and policies have been made, in order to implement wider social change, build bridges with those who are marginalised, and improve the delivery of justice. Contemporary criminological evidence demonstrates that diversity within criminal justice agencies helps to implement appropriate organisational change and agility. This chapter examines how gender, race, and sexuality have been historically represented in the criminal justice system and explores contemporary modern mechanisms of diversity inclusion.
