Tuesday, May. 9, 2023
Are Black people four times as likely to be arrested for marijuana in Wisconsin?
Black people in Wisconsin are 4.2 times as likely to face arrest for marijuana possession than white people, according to an American Civil Liberties Union report analyzing 2010-2018 data.
In 2020, the state ranked 14th in the nation in racial disparity on this metric. The disparity varies within Wisconsin geographically: It is less drastic in Milwaukee County (3.2 times as likely) and more drastic in Manitowoc (29.9 times as likely) and Ozaukee County (34.9 times as likely).
Black people were four times as likely than white people in Wisconsin to be convicted of marijuana possession in 2019, according to a Wisconsin Watch analysis of circuit court data. Prison admissions for marijuana also were higher for Black people than for whites, Wisconsin Watch found.
Marijuana is illegal in Wisconsin, although police and prosecutors have discretion about how and whether to enforce the law, which can lead to racial disparities.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Milwaukee County District Attorney Dashboard 10 years of Wisconsin possession of marijuana convictions
- ACLU of Wisconsin Black people four times more likely to get arrested for marijuana possession in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Watch Blacks arrested for pot possession at four times the rate of whites in Wisconsin
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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