ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the issues of discrimination and equality in the workplace and begins with some definitions. In most jurisdictions, criminal justice agencies tend to have an unbalanced workforce, being dominated for the most part by men, although other demographic characteristics such as ethnicity and sexuality are also under-represented. The exception is probation where the gender balance is tipped in favour of women (Mawby and Worrell 2013). There are adverse consequences suffered by visible minority groups working within policing, probation, prisons, and the court system, as well as potential detriments to the services offered and in the perceived legitimacy of the administration of justice. Most developed countries have equality legislation in place to try and protect certain groups from discriminatory practices. This chapter reviews evidence about the persistence of discrimination and charts the rationale for, and progress made in, achieving greater diversity in CJS workplaces. We also describe the barriers that are still in place and present some remedies for overcoming these.
