My foray into public scholarship began in 2003, when attorneys from Seattle's Racial Disparity Project asked me to conduct research on Seattle drug markets and drug arrests. Prior to this time, my research focused on the politics of crime, law and punishment, mostly at the national level. Although I wrote about controversial political and institutional dynamics, I remained at some remove from my subject matter, as well as from affected and concerned publics. My collaboration with the Racial Disparity Project, however, fundamentally altered my work-and my perspective on the academic mission.
Seattle's Racial Disparity Project is housed in The Defender Association, one of several non-profit agencies in King County, Washington that provide legal representation to indigent criminal defendants. It has also received funding from the Justice Department, the Open Society Institute, the Racial Justice Collaborative, the JEHT Foundation, and others to conduct research and advocacy on issues that disproportionately affect Seattle's communities of color. On the basis of discussions with organizations working in such communities, judges, and others, attorneys from the Racial Disparity Project identified the drug war as a key issue.
When I was approached in 2003, the Racial Disparity Project was looking for a researcher to identify the racial and ethnic composition of those arrested for delivering illegal drugs in Seattle and compare this information with the best available data regarding those who engage in this behavior. Although I had written about drug markets and drug policy from a national perspective, I had not had the opportunity (or inclination) to delve into the dynamics surrounding local drug markets or the policing thereof. I was intrigued by the prospect, despite its obvious challenges, and agreed to conduct the requested research on behalf of the Racial Disparity Project. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into.
The Seattle Police Department does not generally make data regarding the racial and ethnic composition of those it arrests for drug law violations available to the public. Yet it was evident to many working