Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Arrests For Drug Possession After California Proposition 47, 2011-2016 American Journal of Public Health

• NCJ Number: 252665
• Journal: American Journal of Public Health Volume: 108 Issue: 8 Dated: 2018 Pages: 987-993
• Author(s): Alyssa C. Mooney; Eric Gianella; M. Maria Glymour; Torsten B. Neilands; Meghan D. Morris; Jacqueline Tulsky; May Sudhinaraset
• Date Published: August 2018
• Length: 7 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2016-R2-CX-0028
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description; Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study evaluated the effects of California Proposition 47, which reclassified felony drug offenses to misdemeanors in 2014, on racial/ethnic disparities in drug arrests.

Abstract

The study used data on all drug arrests made in California from 2011 to 2016 to compare racial/ethnic disparities in drug arrests between Whites, Blacks, and Latinos, immediately and 1 year after policy changes, controlling for secular and seasonal trends. The study found that In the month following passage, absolute Black-White disparities in monthly felony drug arrests decreased from 81 to 44 per 100,000 and continued to decrease over time. There was an immediate increase of 27 percent in the relative disparity, however, because a higher proportion of felony offense types among Whites were reclassified. Total drug arrest rates also declined, suggesting drug law enforcement was deprioritized. During the first year after enactment, felony drug arrests fell by an estimated 51,985 among Whites, 15,028 among Blacks, and 50,113 among Latinos. Based on these findings, the study concludes that reducing criminal penalties for drug possession can reduce racial/ethnic disparities in criminal justice exposure, and this has implications for improving health inequalities linked to social determinants of health. (publisher abstract modified)