Disproportionate Incarceration of African Americans for Drug Offenses in the U.S.

• NCJ Number: 204997
• Author(s): Arthur J. Lurigio Ph.D.
• Date Published: January 2004
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): 00-DB-MU-0017
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Brochure/Pamphlet
• Publication Type: Factsheet
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: ICJIA Research Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 10, January 2004

Annotation

This research bulletin examines national trends in drug-related arrests and incarcerations and describes the disproportionate incarceration of African-Americans for drug-related offenses.

Abstract

Criminal justice responses to illegal drug use and distribution since the 1980’s have resulted in soaring arrest and incarceration rates. Arrests for drug-related offenses more than doubled between 1980 and 2000. The criminal justice campaign against illegal drugs has had numerous outcomes, among them the rising costs of building and maintaining prisons and the disproportionate incarceration of African-Americans. Disproportionate drug law enforcement, prosecution, and sentencing have adversely impacted the African-American community to a much greater extent than any other racial or ethnic group in the country. Following a review of the data concerning the burgeoning prison population in the United States, the report examines prison admissions for drug and other offenses. Drug-related offenses are one of the most significant causes of the rising prison population, trailing only violent offenses in incarceration rates. The swelling prison population has disproportionately involved African-Americans. The incarceration rate for African-Americans between 1980 and 1996 was more than seven times higher than the incarceration rate for Whites. During the 1990’s, African-Americans were overrepresented in the State prisons of every State in the Nation. This racial disparity is most evident for drug-related offenses. The report focuses on the concentrated drug enforcement in lower-income communities as accountable for the connection between race and drug-related offenses. Differences in the allocation of police resources to combat drug problems have also played a role in the disproportionate arrest and incarceration of African-Americans. The consequences of this type of concentrated drug law enforcement include the disproportionate funding of drug-related enforcement initiatives to the detriment of other law enforcement activities and the over-reliance on costly imprisonment for drug offenders. Finally, the loss of massive numbers of African-American males to prisons has created problems for African-American communities around the country, especially in terms of family well-being, stability, and future employment options. References, notes