20 August 2007
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Rt Hon Jack Straw MP today welcomed an initiative to draft in black mentors to work with youths at risk of being sucked into inner city gang violence.
Mr Straw said:
I greatly welcome Trevor Phillips' approach to this problem, and support the project he is pulling together with Air Commodore David Case and Tarique Ghaffur at Scotland Yard.
It is absolutely right that the criminal justice system should be tough and effective on those individuals who have committed crime as a member of an inner city gang. But the more that can be done to divert individuals from being dragged into this culture of violence and hopelessness the better it is for everyone the individual and the community in which they live.
The best examples for disaffected black youngsters are other black people who have made their way in society because they have a far better understanding of the pressures in these communities.
It is just as important, though, that all of us give active support to this initiative on a non-partisan basis, which is why I welcome the involvement of Patrick Mercer MP.
ENDS
Media enquiries on this news release should be directed to Peter O'Connor, Ministry of Justice press office. Tel: 020 7210 8913.