Many see the issue of representation as a superficial longing tangled up in identity politics. However, lack of representation has astonishing impacts when it comes to positions of power; how will the needs of a certain social group be met if people with their experience have no say in politics?
It often appears as if representation is only acceptable when utilised by socially privileged groups. For instance, the concept of diversity is often used in the marketing of private institutions such as schools and universities in order to appear progressive. But in reality, most of these institutions are not fully committed to supporting and protecting the interests of minority groups in their spaces. Moreover, in British society, the concept of ‘diversity’ is often a marketing tool void of any determined efforts to improve the lives of those to whom they attempt to represent.
As a young black woman, I have experienced this in some institutions which I have encountered; while they claim to be an ‘international’ or ‘diverse’ environment, they are often slow to address the concerns of minority groups. When individuals speak up and encounter a reluctance to act from the administration, they are reminded that their identities are in fact marginalised by these institutions and talk of ‘diversity’ is often an empty promise. Their spaces may be slightly diverse, but until their concerns and actions reflect the concerns of marginalised groups, hypocrisy will stand.
In the context of the politics of Britain's prison system, it has recently come to light that the Parole Board, which determines whether prisoners can be released back into society, has no black members among its 240 member panel. The implications of the lack of black members is problematic. According to the Offender Management Statistics April to June 2017, black people make up about 13% of the prison population in England and Wales, despite the ethnic group only making up about 3% of the general population. In contrast, the percentage of white people in prison is 73% but this is contextualised with the fact that white people make up 88% of the population anyway. Therefore, black people along with the other non-white ethnic groups are overrepresented within the prison population of the UK.
The initial decision indicates structural gaps in a justice system that appeases white prisoners and marginalises black prisoners.
Furthermore, the lack of diversity in the parole board means that ethnic minorities can face a lot of the injustice of the prison system due to unconscious, and possibly active, racial bias. That is, the predominantly white parole board will be unlikely to fully appreciate the cultural and socio-economic realities of black prisoners, which means they are likely to be held for longer than needed as a result of misinterpretation, stereotyping and ignorance. The presence of black individuals on the panel would better inform the handling of black prisoners, making the system more fair to them.
The Parole Board's decision supporting the release of the black cab rapist, John Worboys, a white man, is an indicator of the ways in which racial bias allows the prison system to work more for certain groups than others. Additionally, the extent to which racial bias influences the panel lies in the fact that he was considered suitable for release after 10 years despite being convicted for almost 20 offences. Luckily enough, the High Court overturned this flawed decision that planned to release Worboys in January this coming year, and aged 61 he may be facing a life sentence in prison. Although the initial decision was corrected as a result of the court, it indicates structural gaps in a justice system that appeases white prisoners and marginalises black prisoners.
The Board's ruling is inextricable from Worboys' identity as a white man, as the Parole Board members are largely white. This is the problem: black men are one of the most populous demographic in prison and yet, have a body of officials who don't look like them, cannot understand their experience and may therefore keep them for longer than necessary. The Worboys case, though now resolved, is a display of the ways in which the system is structured in a way that favours white prisoners and puts black prisoners at a disadvantage.
Britain is described as a 'cultural melting pot' but the lack of diversity in political spaces exposes the reality of how far this society has to go if it wants to even consider that it might be equal. The Parole Board's lack of black members indicates the stark institutional racism that exists in so-called 'multicultural Britain'. As alluded to earlier, the concerns of Britain still remain geared towards its white population, with minority groups being misrepresented, or in the case of the Parole Board, not represented at all. This is why representation in political spaces matters; how are a social group meant to progress if they do not have political agency?