Question

"In 2009 the Vera Institute conducted a study in New York on prosecutorial discretion and race and found that of those arrestees arrested with drug paraphernalia, _____ of white arrestees with drug paraphernalia were not prosecuted, whereas ________ of African Americans arrested with drug paraphernalia were not prosecuted."

a) 50%; 75%

b) 75%; 50%

c) 25%; 50%

d) 50%; 25%

Answer 1

The Vera Institute's 2009 study revealed that 50% of white arrestees and only 25% of African American arrestees with drug paraphernalia were not prosecuted, illustrating the racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Option d is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

In 2009, the Vera Institute conducted a study in New York on prosecutorial discretion and race which found that of those arrestees arrested with drug paraphernalia, 50% of white arrestees with drug paraphernalia were not prosecuted, whereas 25% of African Americans arrested with drug paraphernalia were not prosecuted. The correct answer to the question is d) 50%; 25%.

This outcome is a reflection of broader systemic issues within the criminal justice system, where racial disparities in arrests, prosecutions, and sentencing have been well-documented. Such disparities are part of the ongoing conversation about racial profiling, incarceration rates, and mandatory minimum sentences.

The war on drugs, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, saw the implementation of policies that disproportionately impacted minority communities, evidenced in the vastly different treatment of crack cocaine versus powder cocaine. This has contributed to significant societal and racial injustices, with African Americans and Hispanic individuals facing harsher legal outcomes than their white counterparts in many jurisdictions.