Biased policy and racist enforcements

Top social scientist claims the over-representation of Black people in prisons is attributed to bias foundations of policy-making and racist enforcement of drug laws

Black people are 11 times more likely to be jailed for drug offences than their white counterparts and six times more likely to be arrested, according to Ministry of Justice figures.

New scrutiny of the figures by University of Kent professor, Alex Stevens, this week, highlights disparities in UK arrest and imprisonment rates that totally eclipse those of the US – even though the US land mass and Black population are both significantly larger than the UK.

“This differential enforcement of drug laws contributes substantially to the over-representation of Black people in prison in England and Wales.” said Professor Alex Stevens.

An Association of Chief Police Officers spokeswoman told OBV: “As a service, we are committed to ensuring that police powers are used fairly and justifiably, regardless of background or ethnicity. Enforcement action should be proportionate and based upon intelligence.”

Professor Stevens’ findings also cast a shadow of doubt over drugs policy and other areas of government policy-making.

According to Stevens, government policy-making in this area is discriminatory and intrinsically problematic, strewn with facets that reinforce inequality.   From policy-making methods where evidence not specifically targeted to the policy problem is “settled for”; to socially stereotypical policy teams made up of mostly young, white British, middle-class males that pander to bureaucratic competence in search of rapid career progression.

The social scientist also pointed to the ‘silent silencing of inequality’ within policy-making, which employed narratives that “chimed” with existing ways of thinking in order to be “sold” to ministers and colleagues within departments.   Stevens further asserted that policy “actions taken on drug and crime reinforce class and ethnic inequalities…” and that “…effectiveness becomes a secondary consideration”.

Professor Stevens elaborates on his analysis in his book Drugs, Crime and Public Health, in which he explains that fewer than two in 1,000 white people were arrested for drug offences in 2007 to 2008, compared with more than 10 in 1,000 black people.

In terms of imprisonment, the rates varied from 0.1 in 1,000 white people to 1.1 in 1,000 black people, meaning that black people in England and Wales are 6.1 times more likely to be arrested and 11.4 times more likely to be jailed for drug offences than white people. Black people were also 9.2 times more likely to be stopped and searched for drug offences.

These figures are despite research from the British Crime Survey that suggests Black people are no more likely than white people to report using illicit drugs and that Black people have a lower rate of use of class A drugs. 

Professor Stevens’ findings are part of an Independent Science Committee on Drugs’ summit, taking place today.  On the committee’s website, the organisation states that as it is not government-funded, it is able to “provide scientific findings free from the constraints of policy making and politics”.

The government is currently reviewing its approach to drugs amidst calls to decriminalise drug use.  Professor Stevens said: “Criminalisation of illicit drugs reinforces social and ethnic inequalities.  Decriminalisation of drug use would help to reduce these inequalities.”

 “The Government are opposed to the legalisation of drugs and to decriminalisation for personal use.  It would run entirely counter to our health and education messages.”  said crime prevention minister, James Brokenshire MP.

By Davina Kirwan