Cohort 2022

Health and Justice Recovery Alliance

The Traffic-Stop-to-Prison Pipeline: What Do the Data Show?  

King and Spokane Counties, WA

Traffic stops are a key entry point to the criminal legal system, and a growing body of research has uncovered racial bias in traffic stop behavior resulting in racial and ethnic disparities in traffic stops and traffic stop outcomes. In places like King and Spokane Counties in Washington, racial bias in traffic stops may be a significant factor in the disproportionate legal system involvement of Black people (data provided by the American Equity and Justice Group showed that Black people in King County experience over 30 percent of criminal convictions while constituting less than 10 percent of the population, and in Spokane County experience over 10 percent of convictions while making up less than 2 percent of the population).   

With Catalyst Grant funding, the Health and Justice Recovery Alliance will uncover, disrupt, and dismantle the traffic-stop-to-prison pipeline for and with communities of color in King and Spokane Counties. They will develop and field a survey asking community members about their demographics and experiences with traffic stops over the past five years. They will also identify and partner with community members who want to share their stories about how it feels during traffic stops and the outcomes of those stops. The findings will be synthesized in a report and shared with community members in a virtual education and advocacy session.