Marijuana Policing Targets Youth of Color
Year
2011 - Los Angeles, CA
Speakers
gabriel sayegh, State Director, New York, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY
Neill Franklin, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), Washington, DC
Marisa Garcia, Drug Policy Reform Advocate, Santa Fe Springs, CA
Harry Levine, Marijuana Arrest Research Project, New York, NY
Kyung Ji Rhee, Director, Institute for Juvenile Justice Reform & Alternatives, Brooklyn, NY
Violations of marijuana laws account for about half of all drug-related arrests in the U.S. each year. The overwhelming majority are for possession of very small amounts for personal use. Most of those arrested are young and disproportionately nonwhite. Although few receive long sentences, they do cause social marginalization, permanent criminal records, and denial of public benefits such as financial aid for college. What’s driving these arrests? Who’s tracking this phenomenon? And what can be done about it?