Pot Calling the Kettle Black

SIEADER GRO SOURCES: CHICAGO POLICE DEPT AND COOK COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT CLERK WORDS: MICK DUMKE AND BEN JORAVSKY INFO GRAPHIC: RAY NOLAND 86% Black POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK PORTION OF ALL THOSE CONVICTED OF MARIJUANA POSSESSION IN CHICAGO WHO ARE BLACK MEN. Possession Portion of those arrested for marijuana possession in Chicago. Hispanic POLICE People all over Chicago smoke pot – but almost everyone busted for it is black White O Possession Convictions OValue We went through several steps to figure Percent of those arrested Percent of all those convicted Street value of marijuana out who's getting busted for marijuana for marijuana possession of low-level marijuana possession found on convicted offenders (a sample of cases): possession in Chicago. We analyzed 78% Black 17% Hispanic 89% Black 9% Hispanic 2% White $2 $170 data from the Chicago Police Depart- ment for the 47,400 arrests in 2009 and 2010 in which cannabis possession was 5% White the most serious charge. We also analyzed records from the office of the Black people arrested for marijuana pooseselon for every Whito pereon. Black people convicted for marijuana possession for every White person. * AVERAGE STREET VALUE: Cook County Circuit Court clerk for the $55 6,303 convictions and guilty pleas for misdemeanor marijuana possession in those years, 4,255 of which stemmed from arrests in Chicago. In addition, we reviewed the arrest reports for a sample - three dozen – of the cases that ended in convictions and gullty pleas.