A recent study by the Sentencing Project starkly exposes the racist nature of the “war on drugs.” The study, which examines data between 1980 and 2003 from 43 of the largest cities in the country, showed a 225 percent increase in the rate of drug arrests for Blacks compared to only 70 percent for whites.
In 11 cities, the rate of drug arrests for Blacks increased a staggering 500 percent or more. Among other findings, Black arrests increased 3.4 times the rate of arrests for whites, although both groups had similar rates of drug use.
The authors of the study note that the wide range of drug arrest numbers in different cities could reflect the whims of local law enforcement. The racist war on drugs has sown division in the working class, destroyed communities and led to huge increases in the U.S. prison population.
