Equity Measurements for Accountability to All People in Policy Solutions (Equity MAAPPS)

• In Event: AIR Opportunity Fund: Investing in Evidence to Redesign Public Safety

Abstract

Nearly 75% of individuals incarcerated for drug-related offenses are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), despite comprising only 25% of the population and not proportionately more likely to use or sell drugs. States have begun reducing excessively punitive drug policies that have disproportionately affected BIPOC. For example, state policies have decriminalized personal possession and legalized drug sales, particularly cannabis. However, BIPOC have not historically benefited equitably from drug policy reforms. This initiative seeks to describe how BIPOC have experienced the impacts of drug policy innovations and investments, factors associated with equitable implementation of drug policy, and metrics for measuring equitable outcomes in drug policy investments. To achieve these objectives, we performed an environmental scan, drawing information from community listening sessions conducted by people with lived experience of drug use, peer-reviewed and grey literature, state and local data, and subject matter experts. Environmental scan findings were co-interpreted by the research team, community members, and state officials. This presentation reviews these findings and considers how drug policy innovations and investments can be implemented so that all people benefit.

Authors

• Rosie Mae Henson, American Institutes for Research

• Braunz Courtney, HEPPAC