The over-representation of blacks in the UK prison population has become an issue that needs to be addressed. Prison statistics show that blacks are over-represented and when analyzing their UK population and prison statistics one can see that their numbers increase significantly compared to whites and Asians. The statistics focus on the adult male population, but when looking at women and young blacks, the evidence shows that at all levels blacks are overrepresented. However, black people are not only over-represented in prison statistics, police practices show that they are the main target of their actions such as stop and searches under section 60 or when fighting in the “war on drugs”, even if the their drug use is lower. compared to whites. Matthews (2009) and Sampson (1987) provide evidence that one reason for overrepresentation is institutional racism within the criminal justice system, the police service and in sectors such as council, education and construction housing. Newburn (2013) presents that there are specific crimes that blacks are more likely to commit as well as blacks are less likely to plead guilty, including the fact that they often go to the inner city because judges in those places have more probability of giving “heavier” sentences (Newburn 2013). Furthermore, a turning point is given by Wacquant (2001) and his idea of ​​hyperghettoization, which examines the massive privatization of prisons and provides evidence that prisons are turning into “ghettos” to keep uneducated and young black delinquents unskilled in one place (Wacquant, 2001). To outline and understand the problem of black over-representation in the prison service in the UK, the starting point should be a statistic of eth...... middle of paper ......1_spmin0 [last accessed 10 November] The Justice Gap (2012) [online] “Privatising jails a step too far”, available at: http://thejusticegap.com/News/privatising-prisons-a-step-too-far/ [last accessed 10 November]Vice (2013) [online] “Are Britain Prisons Turning into Factory?”, available at: http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/are-britains-prisons-turning-into-factories [last accessed on 10 November]Voice (2013) [online] “War on drugs”, available at: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/black-people-have-become-victims-war-drugs% E2%80%99 [last accessed 10 November]Wacquant, L. (2001) “Deadly symbiosis when Ghetto and Prison meet and intertwine”, Journal of Punishment & Society, vol. 3, no. 1, January 2001, pp 95-133. Women in Prison (2013) [online] “Statistics”, available at: http://www.womeninprison.org.uk/statistics.php [last accessed 10 November]