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Disparities in criminal court referrals to drug treatment and prison for minority men

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  • Nicosia, N.
  • MacDonald, J.M.
  • Arkes, J.

Abstract

Objectives. We investigated the extent to which racial/ethnic disparities in prison and diversion to drug treatment were explained by current arrest and criminal history characteristics among drug-involved offenders, and whether those disparities decreased after California's Proposition 36, which mandated first- and second-time nonviolent drug offenders drug treatment instead of prison. Methods. We analyzed administrative data on approximately 170 000 druginvolved arrests in California between 1995 and 2005. We examined odds ratios from logistic regressions for prison and diversion across racial/ethnic groups before and after Proposition 36. Results. We found significant disparities in prison and diversion for Blacks and Hispanics relative to Whites. These disparities decreased after controlling for current arrest and criminal history characteristics for Blacks. Proposition 36 was also associated with a reduction in disparities, but more so for Hispanics than Blacks. Conclusions. Disparities in prison and diversion to drug treatment among drug-involved offenders affect hundreds of thousands of citizens and might reinforce imbalances in criminal justice and health outcomes. Our study indicated that standardized criminal justice policies that improved access to drug treatment might contribute to alleviating some share of these disparities.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicosia, N. & MacDonald, J.M. & Arkes, J., 2013. "Disparities in criminal court referrals to drug treatment and prison for minority men," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(6), pages 77-84.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301222_3
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301222
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    Cited by:

    1. Alyssa M. Sheeran & Amanda J. Heideman, 2021. "The Effects of Race and Ethnicity on Admission, Graduation, and Recidivism in the Milwaukee County Adult Drug Treatment Court," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, July.
    2. Michael L. Rosino & Matthew W. Hughey, 2018. "The War on Drugs, Racial Meanings, and Structural Racism: A Holistic and Reproductive Approach," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 77(3-4), pages 849-892, May.
    3. John MacDonald & Jeremy Arkes & Nancy Nicosia & Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, 2014. "Decomposing Racial Disparities in Prison and Drug Treatment Commitments for Criminal Offenders in California," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 43(1), pages 155-187.
    4. Grant Voyles CCS, 2017. "Cost and Access to Drug Treatment within the United States Prison System," Global Journal of Addiction & Rehabilitation Medicine, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 3(2), pages 35-38, August.

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