The Irish Travellers' Access to Justice (ITAJ) project team found that Travellers 'see themselves as suspect in the eyes of the police and the courts, simply because of their ethnicity'. They experience over-policing as a community and under-policing as victims of crime, indicating systemic racial issues that complicate their relationship with law enforcement and the judicial system.
The report cites 'robust evidence of a pipeline to prison, fuelled by racial profiling.' Travellers are subject to a disproportionate use of stop-and-search powers, leading to shockingly common searches of Traveller homes and high rates of arrest.
Some Travellers describe police provocation, particularly of young men, highlighting a trend where young members of the community feel targeted. The statement indicates routine fears among Travellers of being seen as 'guilty until proven innocent' within the justice system.
The research indicates that there is a disproportionately high number of Travellers in prison for minor offending, with allegations of Travellers receiving higher sentences compared to their settled counterparts, which raises serious concerns regarding equity in sentencing.
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