39% of the justice sector workforce are female, compared with 46% across the whole economy.

Police and law enforcement:

• 20% of UK police officers and 63% of police staff are female, compared with 49% in the UK workforce
• 22% of all police constables in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are female, 12% are sergeants, and all other ranks are less than 10%

Public prosecution:

• 67% of staff are female in England and Wales, 69% in Scotland

Court services:

• 66% of UK courts services staff are female, compared with 49% in the UK workforce
• Scotland has the lowest proportion of female staff (58%)

Custodial care:

• 31% of UK prison services staff are female, but only 21% in Scotland and 26% in Wales
• an increase in the proportion of females in the workforce are expected

Community justice:

• 66% of the probation service are female
• women represent 61% of occupational roles and 77% of support roles

Source: UK Skill Needs Assessment 2006 and LMI reports 2005

7% of the workforce are under 25 years, which is mainly the result of entry requirement (e.g. custodial care employees must be over 18 years).  The majority of the workforce are aged 35-44 years (33%).

Police and law enforcement:

• 36% of police officers are aged 41 years and over in England, Northern Ireland and Wales
• 14% of police officers are over 55 years

Public prosecution:

• 35% of the workforce in England and 31% in Wales are aged 16-34 years
• 34% of Scottish prosecution services staff are aged 31-40 years
• 39% of the workforce in Wales and 36% in England are aged 35-44 years
• 8% of staff in England and Wales are over 55 years of age
• 13% of staff in Scotland are aged 51-59 years

Court services:

• 30% of court services staff are aged 16-34 years in England and Wales, compared with 37% in the UK
• 24% of court services staff are 16-34 years in Scotland
• 50% of staff are aged 16-35 years in Northern Ireland
• 20% are aged over 55 years in England, Wales and Scotland, compared with 25% over 50 in the UK workforce

Court services:

• 12% of staff in England and Wales are from a minority ethnic group, compared with 9% in the general population
• 2.8% of staff in Scotland are from a minority ethnic group, compared with 2% of the Scottish population

Custodial care:

• 36% of the workforce in Scotland, Wales and England are aged 35-44 years
• 13% of staff are aged over 55 years
• 23% of the prison service workforce are aged 16-34 years, compared with 37% in the UK workforce

Source: UK Skill Needs Assessment 2006, Skills Foresight Regional Factsheets 2005, LMI reports 2005 and SSDA Skills Matrix 2005

5% of the justice sector workforce are from minority ethnic groups, compared to 7% across the whole economy.

Sub-sector data:

• 3% of UK police officers are from minority ethnic groups
• 2.2% of public prosecution staff in Scotland are from a minority ethnic group, 15% in England and 1.8% in Wales
• 5% of the UK prison staff are from minority groups
• 11% of the probation workforce in England and Wales are from a minority ethnic group

Source: UK Skill Needs Assessment 2006, Skills for Justice LMI reports 2005 and LMI reports 2005

Publications on race and equality in the justice sector:

Data are available on disability at a regional level for the community justice sub-sector.

Further data on disability is not readily available.