Cross Justice Working Group on Race Data and Evidence minutes: October 2021

Attendees and apologies

Organisation:

• SG – Justice Analytical Services (JAS)
• SG – Police Division
• SG – Communities Analytical Division (CAD)
• SLAB (Scottish Legal Aid Board)
• CRER (Coalition for Racial and Equality Rights)
• Glasgow University; SCCJR (Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research)
• Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)
• Police Scotland (PS)
• Scottish Prison Service (SPS)
• SIPR (Scottish Institute for Policing Research)
• BEMIS 
• SFRS (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service)
• Community Justice
• CEMVO Scotland (The Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations)

Items and actions

Introductions and apologies

JAS welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for attending. Everyone introduced themselves.

Review of action points and minutes from last meeting

Re – census classification - there was unanimous support at the Justice Board meeting for consistent use of ethnicity classification across Scotland and formally adopt the 2022 census Scottish Ethnicity classification, developed by NRS, as the most versatile option.

JAS presented an update and findings from the following reports on engagement work:-

• community engagement - analysis report - justice summary for working group
• academic engagement - mapping of previous current and future research
• academic engagement- survey results report (full report) (findings presented at June meeting) 

The second half of the meeting was a workshop where attendees were split into groups to discuss and feedback on the following key questions: 

• what are the priorities and why?
• how can we fill these research and data gaps? 
• what is the role of the group going forward and what key messages do we feed back to the Justice Board? 

AOB

JAS mentioned that a consultation is currently underway on the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS). This seeks views on the SCJS, with a specific focus on how the survey might be adapted through an upcoming re-procurement exercise. Colleagues and partner organisations are encouraged to take part, as the findings will have a significant impact on future crime surveys in Scotland. 

The consultation closes on the 9th December.

Next meeting

Date of next meeting – to be arranged