Procedural justice and racial disparity in drug arrests: The offender’s perspective

• In Event: Fifty Years of Drug Arrests: Crime Control or Oppression? (Session 2)

Abstract

This study examines disparities in the arrest experiences of white drug offenders and African- American drug offenders in St. Louis, Missouri, where 90% of drug arrestees are African- American (UCR). A missing link in research on procedural justice and possible racial bias in policing is the offender’s perspective. Interviews with probationers and parolees convicted on drug charges explore their experiences with law enforcement during the arrest process. The interviews focus on the quality of the decision making and interpersonal treatment by law enforcement. This research adds to the literature on procedural justice by assessing the intersection between procedural justice and race from the offender’s perspective.

Authors

• Kristina Linden, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Richard Rosenfeld, University of Missouri - St. Louis