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Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Arrests for Drug Possession After California Proposition 47, 2011-2016
Alyssa C Mooney1, Eric Giannella1, M Maria Glymour1
1Alyssa C. Mooney, M. Maria Glymour, and Meghan D. Morris are with the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco. Eric Giannella is with the California Department of Justice, Oakland. Torsten B. Neilands is with the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. Jacqueline Tulsky is with the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. May Sudhinaraset is with the Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
California Proposition 47 reduced racial/ethnic disparities in drug arrests by reclassifying felonies to misdemeanors. This policy change led to fewer arrests across all groups, particularly for White individuals.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Criminology
- Health Policy
Background:
- California Proposition 47, enacted in 2014, reclassified felony drug offenses to misdemeanors.
- Understanding the impact of such policy changes on racial/ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of California Proposition 47 on racial/ethnic disparities in drug arrests.
- To analyze changes in drug arrest disparities between White, Black, and Latino individuals post-policy implementation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized California drug arrest data from 2011 to 2016.
- Compared racial/ethnic disparities in drug arrests immediately and one year after Proposition 47.
- Controlled for secular and seasonal trends in arrest data.
Main Results:
- Absolute Black-White disparities in felony drug arrests decreased significantly post-Proposition 47.
- A temporary increase in relative disparity was observed due to reclassification of offenses.
- Total drug arrests declined, indicating potential deprioritization of drug law enforcement.
Conclusions:
- Reducing criminal penalties for drug possession can decrease racial/ethnic disparities in criminal justice involvement.
- These changes have implications for addressing health inequalities linked to social determinants of health.
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