Drug Law Reform
Drug law enforcement has been used to justify the over-policing and criminalisation of Black communities for decades.
At UNJUST, we believe substance use is a social issue that requires a human rights response, not one driven by the carceral state (such as through policing and prisons).
Tactics such as stop and search pertain to being used in order to stop young people from carrying drugs. But it is not deployed equally. Recent studies have found that the ‘find rate’ for drug searches is lower for black than white people. Yet, Black people are more likely to be arrested as a result of stop and search than white people, and more likely to be prosecuted. This is an example of how the ethnic disparities introduced by stop and search and other forms of police activity follow through to prosecution, conviction and sentencing.
It is evident that the policing of particular communities to crack down on drugs is fuelled by racism and stereotypes. The consequences of this cannot be overstated: it impacts the mental health, safety and wellbeing of our young people when their communities, friendships, families, and places of safety such as schools are overpoliced.
At UNJUST, we are concerned that drug law enforcement only exacerbates the problem. We focused on advocating for alternatives that are evidence-based and focused on harm reduction.
We have supported Release’s work exploring Cannabis Social Equity models and are a signatory to their report on the issue. We view drug law reform as a vital step towards a just, fairer and more equal society.
UNJUST also featured in Transform Drug Policy Foundations’ 50 Voices” campaign and participated in a roundtable meeting hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform.
Reports
Campaigns
Transform Drugs: “50 Voices” - 50 Reasons why we need to change our Drug Laws