| dc.description.abstract | The War on Drugs began as a way to curb what was seen as the nation's "number one enemy" - drug abuse. Policy changes, which began nearly a century ago in the 1930's, have altered the justice system more than anyone could have ever predicted. Overall, arrest rates for drug related violations have skyrocketed; however, minority Black and African American communities have seen higher rates of arrest on drug abuse violations than have Caucasian populations. In order to better understand this reality, this thesis looks at the arrest rates of drug abuse violations, census data, as well as drug usage reports in order to discern just how the justice system is treating this minority population. Data showed the inequality is far-reaching: for every 100,000 residents of both races, 332 Caucasians are arrested on drug-related charges while an overwhelming 879 Blacks/African Americans are arrested. Blindness in the justice system is what the public needs to see in order to continue having faith in it. On the negative side, disparities in it, or any other justice-serving entity, can lead to a lack of trust in the system; however, distrust could also lead to justice reforms which, if made properly, have the possibility of removing some of the racial disparity created and maintained by the justice system. | |
