Oregon study finds racial disparities in drug convictions

PORTLAND – A study conducted by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission has found that African-Americans in the state were convicted of felony drug possession at more than double the rate of whites in 2015.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that conviction disparity held true in methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine cases statewide.

State Criminal Justice Commission Director Mike Schmidt says the results are striking given federal public health survey data, which shows that illicit drug use is roughly the same across Americans of different races and ethnicities.

Schmidt’s staff looked at cases in which drug possession was the person’s only felony conviction.

Gov. Kate Brown asked the agency to examine racial and ethnic disparities earlier this year. The study is the first of its kind in Oregon.