“Content to maintain the status quo”: Revolving Doors responds to Government’s reaction to Sentencing Council proposals
Pavan Dhaliwal, CEO of Revolving Doors, has issued the following statement in response to Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood’s response to the Sentencing Council’s proposals for improved Pre-Sentence Reports (PSRs) for ethnic minorities, women and neurodivergent individuals:
“We already have a two-tier justice system where Black, Asian, and minority ethnic people face harsher sentences and are less likely to receive community alternatives. Neurodivergent individuals, who are significantly overrepresented in our prisons, are often sentenced without proper assessment of their needs. The Sentencing Council’s proposals were a chance to address these injustices, yet the Lord Chancellor’s response signals a reluctance to tackle long-standing disparities.”
“Revolving Doors responded to the Sentencing Council’s consultation, strongly advocating for mandatory, high-quality PSRs for ethnic minority, women and neurodivergent individuals. Without these reports, magistrates and judges are sentencing in the dark, reinforcing systemic biases rather than ensuring fair, evidence-based decisions.”
“The Government has been in power for just six months, but it now has a choice: deliver on its stated commitment to fairness in sentencing or allow racial and neurodiversity-based disparities to persist. The Lord Chancellor’s response is a worrying sign that, instead of acting on the clear evidence of injustice, this Government is content to maintain the status quo.”
“This also runs directly counter to its own pledge to reduce the number of women in prison. Women in the justice system – many of whom are neurodivergent, survivors of domestic abuse, and primary caregivers – are being sentenced without proper consideration of their circumstances. Without robust PSRs, courts will continue to send women to prison when community-based alternatives would be far more effective.”
“The Lammy Review, published in 2017, made clear that better-informed sentencing was key to tackling racial disparities in the justice system. Seven years later, we are still waiting for meaningful change. If this Government wants to show that it is serious about justice reform, it must ensure PSRs are properly resourced and consistently used. Anything less is a betrayal of its own promises.”
ENDS
Notes to the editor
Revolving Doors is a national charity working to break the cycle of crisis and crime. We advocate for a system that addresses the drivers of contact with the criminal justice system, including trauma, poverty and discrimination. We bring independent research, policy expertise and lived experience together to champion long-term solutions for justice reform.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please email or call Charlotte Sellers at charlotte.sellers@revolving-doors.org.uk / on 07483 091 774. For out of hours queries, please contact CEO Pavan Dhaliwal on 07738 435 059.
