A Historical Analysis of the U.S. War on Drugs and Its Impact on African-American Women

• In Event: Gender, Victimization and Public Policy

Abstract

Since the beginning of the U.S. War on the Drugs, the number of incarcerated women has dramatically increased by more than 700%. From only 26,378 in 1980, the population of incarcerated women in the U.S. rose to 215,332 in 2014. The proportion of African-American women in the incarcerated women population has also dramatically increased. Using historical analysis, this study will examine the U.S. War of Drugs and explore why African-American women have been disproportionately affected by this anti-drug campaign.

Author

• Sarahi Y. Robledo, Sonoma State University