Drug Arrests by State, 2006

There is marked variation among the states in the racial breakdown of their drug arrests. Table 3 presents the number of black and white drug arrests in each state[12] and the percentage by race of the black and white arrests combined.[13]

Table 3: State Adult Drug Arrests by Race, 2006

State	Black Drug Arrests	White Drug Arrests	Black Arrests as Percent of Total	White Arrests as Percent of Total
Alabama	7,924	5,856	58%	42%
Alaska	155	1,029	13%	87%
Arizona	3,377	25,942	12%	88%
Arkansas	4,410	7,855	36%	64%
California	58,891	217,531	21%	79%
Colorado	2,150	16,638	11%	89%
Connecticut	4,603	8,916	34%	66%
Delaware	2,734	2,220	55%	45%
District of Columbia	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Florida	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Georgia	20,254	10,494	66%	34%
Hawaii	127	928	12%	88%
Idaho	101	4,539	2%	98%
Illinois	45,999	11,820	80%	20%
Indiana	4,985	12,519	28%	72%
Iowa	1,719	6,335	21%	79%
Kansas	1,400	4,583	23%	77%
Kentucky	4,707	6,016	44%	56%
Louisiana	12,534	9,420	57%	43%
Maine	217	4,893	4%	96%
Maryland	32,091	15,743	67%	33%
Massachusetts	4,710	10,996	30%	70%
Michigan	12,442	18,097	41%	59%
Minnesota	4,885	9,734	33%	67%
Mississippi	8,905	6,708	57%	43%
Missouri	13,467	26,730	34%	66%
Montana	25	1,253	2%	98%
Nebraska	2,195	6,907	24%	76%
Nevada	3,839	8,262	32%	68%
New Hampshire	131	2,413	5%	95%
New Jersey	22,510	24,772	48%	52%
New Mexico	393	3,543	10%	90%
New York	20,248	34,350	37%	63%
North Carolina	16,159	15,027	52%	48%
North Dakota	95	1,282	7%	93%
Ohio	13,506	18,104	43%	57%
Oklahoma	4,814	13,313	27%	73%
Oregon	2,035	16,057	11%	89%
Pennsylvania	22,201	27,081	45%	55%
Rhode Island	839	2,590	24%	76%
South Carolina	16,359	12,908	56%	44%
South Dakota	79	910	8%	92%
Tennessee	13,516	21,314	39%	61%
Texas	37,752	82,739	31%	69%
Utah	369	7,002	5%	95%
Vermont	101	1,486	6%	94%
Virginia	14,739	13,552	52%	48%
Washington	4,356	19,999	18%	82%
West Virginia	1,373	5,148	21%	79%
Wisconsin	5,761	13,988	29%	71%
Wyoming	81	2,467	3%	97%

Because the proportion of blacks and whites in state populations varies considerably, drug arrest rates for each race by state-set forth in Figure 2 and Table 4-present a more telling picture of the racial impact of drug law enforcement.[14] Although state rates of black and white drug arrests vary considerably, in every state the black rate of drug arrests per 100,000 black residents is considerably higher than the white rate per 100,000 white residents. Black rates of drug arrest range from a low of 428 in Hawaii to a high of 4,210 per 100,000 blacks in Illinois. In 20 states, the black rate of arrest is 2,000 or more per 100,000. White drug arrest rates range from a low of 169 to a high of 1,029 per 100,000 whites. The black-to-white ratio of drug arrest rates ranges from a low of two in Hawaii to a high of 11.3 in Minnesota and Iowa (Table 4). In nine states, blacks are arrested on drug charges at rates more than seven times the rate of whites.

Table 4: State Rates of Adult Drug Arrests by Race, 2006

Rates calculated per 100,000 residents of each race

State	Black Arrests	White Arrests	Ratio of Black to White Arrests
Alabama	886	228	3.9
Alaska	769	274	2.8
Arizona	1,944	634	3.1
Arkansas	1,432	443	3.2
California	3,150	1,029	3.1
Colorado	1,425	504	2.8
Connecticut	1,737	383	4.5
Delaware	2,131	442	4.8
District of Columbia	n/a	n/a	n/a
Florida	n/a	n/a	n/a
Georgia	1,025	223	4.6
Hawaii	428	214	2.0
Idaho	1,300	438	3
Illinois	4,210	857	4.9
Indiana	1,254	293	4.3
Iowa	3,287	291	11.3
Kansas	1,161	243	4.8
Kentucky	2,032	205	9.9
Louisiana	1,328	430	3.1
Maine	2,537	480	5.3
Maryland	2,634	559	4.7
Massachusetts	1,424	249	5.7
Michigan	1,204	284	4.2
Minnesota	3,072	271	11.3
Mississippi	1,194	486	2.5
Missouri	2,824	691	4.1
Montana	687	184	3.7
Nebraska	4,043	558	7.2
Nevada	2,662	527	5.1
New Hampshire	1,170	245	4.8
New Jersey	2,406	477	5
New Mexico	1,012	281	3.6
New York	805	307	2.6
North Carolina	1,160	294	3.9
North Dakota	2,262	277	8.2
Ohio	1,368	239	5.7
Oklahoma	1,544	594	2.6
Oregon	3,626	607	6
Pennsylvania	2,313	321	7.2
Rhode Island	1,656	343	4.8
South Carolina	1,813	554	3.3
South Dakota	1,409	169	8.3
Tennessee	1,882	560	3.4
Texas	1,883	579	3.3
Utah	1,830	420	4.4
Vermont	2,681	310	8.6
Virginia	1,308	307	4.3
Washington	2,370	468	5.1
West Virginia	2,599	376	6.9
Wisconsin	2,533	358	7.1
Wyoming	2,006	653	3.1

[12] See explanation on limitations of data in footnotes 5 and 9.

[13] The very small numbers of arrests of other races are not included.

[14] Rates of arrest calculated using estimated state population data published by the US Census Bureau.

Table of Contents

Decades of Disparity

Drug Arrests by State, 2006

Table 3: State Adult Drug Arrests by Race, 2006

Table 4: State Rates of Adult Drug Arrests by Race, 2006