Akwasi Owusu‐bempah
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 3594903 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Akwasi Owusu‐bempah |
| NOMBRES | Akwasi |
| APELLIDO | Owusu‐bempah |
| FIRMA | BEMPAH A O |
| AFILIACIONES | University of Toronto |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4237-3422 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 24 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 118 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 24 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2009 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 4 |
Impact of cannabis legalization on drug possession offences among people who experience incarceration in Ontario, Canada
BACKGROUND: In October 2018, Canada legalized non-medical cannabis possession and use. While a stated objective of legalization was to prevent people from entering the criminal justice system for cannabis possession, we lack evidence about whether this objective has been achieved. This study aims to compare drug offences among people who experienced incarceration in Ontario, Canada, before and after cannabis legalization. METHODS: We used offence…
Police encounters among people who use drugs in Toronto, Canada
Machine learning used to study risk factors for chronic diseases
OBJECTIVES: Machine learning (ML) has received significant attention for its potential to process and learn from vast amounts of data. Our aim was to perform a scoping review to identify studies that used ML to study risk factors for chronic diseases at a population level, notably those that incorporated methods to mitigate algorithmic bias. We focused on ML applications for the most common risk factors for chronic disease: tobacco use, alcohol u…
Shopping Under Suspicion in Canada
This study was devoted to an examination of Canadian experiences being criminally profiled in retail stores. Using one's race or ethnicity as the primary method to identify potential shoplifters is referred to as consumer racial profiling (CRP). Relying on a national sample of Canadians, the research investigated four aspects of CRP. First, the research investigated the frequency of CRP experiences among the Canadian population. Second, the resea…
Navigating Mental Health and Cannabis Use Post-cannabis Legalization
Through conversations with members of racialized communities, we aimed to: explore perspectives shared by members of racialized communities regarding the relationship between cannabis and mental health; develop a greater understanding of racialized community members’ mental health service interactions in relation to cannabis use and mental health; and examine whether various social identities interact to influence experiences with cannabis use an…
Cannabis-related arrests and convictions in Canada
Racialized individuals were disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition in Canada; however, the role of socioeconomic factors and neighborhood deprivation are not well understood. The current study examined race/ethnicity, individual socioeconomic factors, and neighborhood deprivation in relation to arrests and convictions for cannabis-related offenses. Repeat cross-sectional data were analyzed from two waves of the International Cannabis…
Assessing the Impact of Cannabis Decriminalization on Racial Disparities in Chicago's Cannabis Possession Arrests
Black and Hispanic neighborhoods have suffered the most severe consequences of the "war on drugs." As the war on drugs waned, cannabis legalization/decriminalization efforts increased across America. A prime example of decriminalization occurred in August of 2012 as the City of Chicago introduced a new law providing officers with option to ticket, rather than arrest, individuals caught in possession of 15 grams of cannabis or less. As cannabis po…
Waiting to Inhale
The roots of a racial reckoning through the lens of cannabis. From the start, the War on Drugs targeted Black, Brown, and Indigenous Americans already disadvantaged by a system stacked against them. Even now, as white Americans who largely escaped the fire capitalize on the legalization movement and a booming cannabis industry, their less fortunate peers continue to suffer the consequences of the systemic racism in policing and failed drug policy…
Patterns of problematic cannabis use in Canada pre‐ and post‐legalisation
Race and Incarceration
Racially disaggregated incarceration data are an important indicator of population health and well-being, but are lacking in the Canadian context. We aimed to describe incarceration rates and proportions of Black people who experienced incarceration in Ontario, Canada during 2010 using population-based data. We used correctional administrative data for all 45,956 men and 6,357 women released from provincial correctional facilities in Ontario in 2…
Police Funding and Crime Rates in 20 of Canada's Largest Municipalities
Tandis que la littérature évaluant diverses pratiques et reformes policières continue de s’accroitre, il y a présentement peu de recherche qui examine le financement de la police au Canada. Pour décrire la situation présente du financement de la police au Canada, nous recueillissions et publions des données sur les dépenses municipales de services policiers de 2010 à 2021 de 20 des municipalités urbaines les plus peuplées au Canada. Notre analyse…
Overpoliced and Underrepresented
Historically, overpolicing of some racialized and Indigenous groups in Canada has resulted in unequal application of drug laws contributing to disproportionate rates of charges and convictions in these populations. Criminal records severely and negatively impact an individual’s life and can perpetuate cycles of poverty and socioeconomic disadvantage. On October 17, 2018, Canada legalized cannabis production, distribution, sale, and possession for…
Where Is the Fairness in Canadian Cannabis Legalization? Lessons to be Learned from the American Experience
Canada has received praise and international attention for its departure from strict cannabis prohibition and the introduction of a legal regulatory framework for adult use. In addition to the perceived public health and public safety benefits associated with legalization, reducing the burden placed on the individuals criminalized for cannabis use served as an impetus for change. In comparison to many jurisdictions in the United States, however, …
Race, cannabis and the Canadian war on drugs
Criminal Justice and Black Life in Canada
Ethnoracial differences in cannabis use among native-born and foreign-born high school students in Ontario
The objective of this study was to examine the association of ethnoracial background and immigrant status to cannabis use among students in Ontario, Canada. Data were derived from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a school-based, province-wide survey of students in Grades 7-12. The survey utilized a stratified two-stage cluster design. Analyses were based on a pooled subsample of 12,527 students in Grades 9-12 during the 2011 and 20…
Race and policing in historical context
Too little consideration has been given to conceptualizing race within mainstream criminological scholarship. One consequence of this oversight is the existence of a stale debate over the causes of racial disparities in crime and criminal justice outcomes. This article draws upon intersectionality to present an historical analysis of the policing of African Americans. The article argues that the concept of dehumanization helps explain the structu…
Years of life lost to incarceration
The results indicate substantial differences in life years lost to incarceration for Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal Canadians. In light of on-going prison expansion in Canada, future research and policy attention should be paid to the public health consequences of incarceration, particularly among Aboriginal Canadians
Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice in Canada
Canada effectively bans systematic collection and dissemination of racially disaggregated criminal justice statistics. A significant proportion of Canada’s racial minority populations perceive bias in the criminal justice system, especially on the part of police. Aboriginal and black Canadians are grossly overrepresented in Canada’s correctional institutions. Some evidence suggests that both Aboriginal and black populations are overrepresented wi…
The usual suspects
This paper explores police stop and search activities in Canada using data from a 2007 survey of Toronto residents. The paper begins by demonstrating that black respondents are more likely to view racial profiling as a major problem in Canada than whites or Asians. By contrast, white and Asian respondents are more likely to believe that profiling is a useful crime-fighting tool. Further analysis reveals that the black community's concern with rac…
Whitewashing Criminal Justice in Canada
Race and racism have long played an important role in Canadian law and continue to do so. However, conducting research on race and criminal justice in Canada is difficult given the lack of readily available data that include information about race. We show that data on the race of victims and accused persons are being suppressed by police organizations in Canada and argue that suppression of race prevents quantitative anti-racism research while n…
Research Note
The debate over the collection of justice statistics by race continues to hinge on the same key issues that were central to the debate when it arose in the early 1990s. There has been one major change, however: whereas racial minority groups were once vehemently opposed to the collection of justice statistics by race, for fear that such statistics would be used to justify discriminatory policies, many minority groups are now advocating for the co…
Unequal Before the Law
Race, Ethnicity, Crime, and Justice
Race, Ethnicity, Crime, and Justice: An International Dilemma, Second Edition, takes a unique comparative approach to the exploration of race- and ethnicity-related justice issues in five countries around the world. Using the colonial model as a theoretical lens, Owusu-Bempah and Gabbidon analyse data from Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. These international case studies help students contextualize race and j…
Race and policing in historical context
Too little consideration has been given to conceptualizing race within mainstream criminological scholarship. One consequence of this oversight is the existence of a stale debate over the causes of racial disparities in crime and criminal justice outcomes. This article draws upon intersectionality to present an historical analysis of the policing of African Americans. The article argues that the concept of dehumanization helps explain the structu…
The usual suspects
This paper explores police stop and search activities in Canada using data from a 2007 survey of Toronto residents. The paper begins by demonstrating that black respondents are more likely to view racial profiling as a major problem in Canada than whites or Asians. By contrast, white and Asian respondents are more likely to believe that profiling is a useful crime-fighting tool. Further analysis reveals that the black community's concern with rac…
Whitewashing Criminal Justice in Canada
Race and racism have long played an important role in Canadian law and continue to do so. However, conducting research on race and criminal justice in Canada is difficult given the lack of readily available data that include information about race. We show that data on the race of victims and accused persons are being suppressed by police organizations in Canada and argue that suppression of race prevents quantitative anti-racism research while n…
Research Note
The debate over the collection of justice statistics by race continues to hinge on the same key issues that were central to the debate when it arose in the early 1990s. There has been one major change, however: whereas racial minority groups were once vehemently opposed to the collection of justice statistics by race, for fear that such statistics would be used to justify discriminatory policies, many minority groups are now advocating for the co…
Police Funding and Crime Rates in 20 of Canada's Largest Municipalities
Tandis que la littérature évaluant diverses pratiques et reformes policières continue de s’accroitre, il y a présentement peu de recherche qui examine le financement de la police au Canada. Pour décrire la situation présente du financement de la police au Canada, nous recueillissions et publions des données sur les dépenses municipales de services policiers de 2010 à 2021 de 20 des municipalités urbaines les plus peuplées au Canada. Notre analyse…
Overpoliced and Underrepresented
Historically, overpolicing of some racialized and Indigenous groups in Canada has resulted in unequal application of drug laws contributing to disproportionate rates of charges and convictions in these populations. Criminal records severely and negatively impact an individual’s life and can perpetuate cycles of poverty and socioeconomic disadvantage. On October 17, 2018, Canada legalized cannabis production, distribution, sale, and possession for…
Unequal Before the Law
Race, Ethnicity, Crime, and Justice
Race, Ethnicity, Crime, and Justice: An International Dilemma, Second Edition, takes a unique comparative approach to the exploration of race- and ethnicity-related justice issues in five countries around the world. Using the colonial model as a theoretical lens, Owusu-Bempah and Gabbidon analyse data from Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. These international case studies help students contextualize race and j…
Research Note
The debate over the collection of justice statistics by race continues to hinge on the same key issues that were central to the debate when it arose in the early 1990s. There has been one major change, however: whereas racial minority groups were once vehemently opposed to the collection of justice statistics by race, for fear that such statistics would be used to justify discriminatory policies, many minority groups are now advocating for the co…
The usual suspects
This paper explores police stop and search activities in Canada using data from a 2007 survey of Toronto residents. The paper begins by demonstrating that black respondents are more likely to view racial profiling as a major problem in Canada than whites or Asians. By contrast, white and Asian respondents are more likely to believe that profiling is a useful crime-fighting tool. Further analysis reveals that the black community's concern with rac…
Whitewashing Criminal Justice in Canada
Race and racism have long played an important role in Canadian law and continue to do so. However, conducting research on race and criminal justice in Canada is difficult given the lack of readily available data that include information about race. We show that data on the race of victims and accused persons are being suppressed by police organizations in Canada and argue that suppression of race prevents quantitative anti-racism research while n…
Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice in Canada
Canada effectively bans systematic collection and dissemination of racially disaggregated criminal justice statistics. A significant proportion of Canada’s racial minority populations perceive bias in the criminal justice system, especially on the part of police. Aboriginal and black Canadians are grossly overrepresented in Canada’s correctional institutions. Some evidence suggests that both Aboriginal and black populations are overrepresented wi…
Years of life lost to incarceration
The results indicate substantial differences in life years lost to incarceration for Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal Canadians. In light of on-going prison expansion in Canada, future research and policy attention should be paid to the public health consequences of incarceration, particularly among Aboriginal Canadians
Race and policing in historical context
Too little consideration has been given to conceptualizing race within mainstream criminological scholarship. One consequence of this oversight is the existence of a stale debate over the causes of racial disparities in crime and criminal justice outcomes. This article draws upon intersectionality to present an historical analysis of the policing of African Americans. The article argues that the concept of dehumanization helps explain the structu…
Ethnoracial differences in cannabis use among native-born and foreign-born high school students in Ontario
The objective of this study was to examine the association of ethnoracial background and immigrant status to cannabis use among students in Ontario, Canada. Data were derived from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a school-based, province-wide survey of students in Grades 7-12. The survey utilized a stratified two-stage cluster design. Analyses were based on a pooled subsample of 12,527 students in Grades 9-12 during the 2011 and 20…
Criminal Justice and Black Life in Canada
Where Is the Fairness in Canadian Cannabis Legalization? Lessons to be Learned from the American Experience
Canada has received praise and international attention for its departure from strict cannabis prohibition and the introduction of a legal regulatory framework for adult use. In addition to the perceived public health and public safety benefits associated with legalization, reducing the burden placed on the individuals criminalized for cannabis use served as an impetus for change. In comparison to many jurisdictions in the United States, however, …
Race, cannabis and the Canadian war on drugs
Waiting to Inhale
The roots of a racial reckoning through the lens of cannabis. From the start, the War on Drugs targeted Black, Brown, and Indigenous Americans already disadvantaged by a system stacked against them. Even now, as white Americans who largely escaped the fire capitalize on the legalization movement and a booming cannabis industry, their less fortunate peers continue to suffer the consequences of the systemic racism in policing and failed drug policy…
Patterns of problematic cannabis use in Canada pre‐ and post‐legalisation
Race and Incarceration
Racially disaggregated incarceration data are an important indicator of population health and well-being, but are lacking in the Canadian context. We aimed to describe incarceration rates and proportions of Black people who experienced incarceration in Ontario, Canada during 2010 using population-based data. We used correctional administrative data for all 45,956 men and 6,357 women released from provincial correctional facilities in Ontario in 2…
Police Funding and Crime Rates in 20 of Canada's Largest Municipalities
Tandis que la littérature évaluant diverses pratiques et reformes policières continue de s’accroitre, il y a présentement peu de recherche qui examine le financement de la police au Canada. Pour décrire la situation présente du financement de la police au Canada, nous recueillissions et publions des données sur les dépenses municipales de services policiers de 2010 à 2021 de 20 des municipalités urbaines les plus peuplées au Canada. Notre analyse…
Overpoliced and Underrepresented
Historically, overpolicing of some racialized and Indigenous groups in Canada has resulted in unequal application of drug laws contributing to disproportionate rates of charges and convictions in these populations. Criminal records severely and negatively impact an individual’s life and can perpetuate cycles of poverty and socioeconomic disadvantage. On October 17, 2018, Canada legalized cannabis production, distribution, sale, and possession for…
Cannabis-related arrests and convictions in Canada
Racialized individuals were disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition in Canada; however, the role of socioeconomic factors and neighborhood deprivation are not well understood. The current study examined race/ethnicity, individual socioeconomic factors, and neighborhood deprivation in relation to arrests and convictions for cannabis-related offenses. Repeat cross-sectional data were analyzed from two waves of the International Cannabis…
Assessing the Impact of Cannabis Decriminalization on Racial Disparities in Chicago's Cannabis Possession Arrests
Black and Hispanic neighborhoods have suffered the most severe consequences of the "war on drugs." As the war on drugs waned, cannabis legalization/decriminalization efforts increased across America. A prime example of decriminalization occurred in August of 2012 as the City of Chicago introduced a new law providing officers with option to ticket, rather than arrest, individuals caught in possession of 15 grams of cannabis or less. As cannabis po…
Shopping Under Suspicion in Canada
This study was devoted to an examination of Canadian experiences being criminally profiled in retail stores. Using one's race or ethnicity as the primary method to identify potential shoplifters is referred to as consumer racial profiling (CRP). Relying on a national sample of Canadians, the research investigated four aspects of CRP. First, the research investigated the frequency of CRP experiences among the Canadian population. Second, the resea…
Navigating Mental Health and Cannabis Use Post-cannabis Legalization
Through conversations with members of racialized communities, we aimed to: explore perspectives shared by members of racialized communities regarding the relationship between cannabis and mental health; develop a greater understanding of racialized community members’ mental health service interactions in relation to cannabis use and mental health; and examine whether various social identities interact to influence experiences with cannabis use an…
Impact of cannabis legalization on drug possession offences among people who experience incarceration in Ontario, Canada
BACKGROUND: In October 2018, Canada legalized non-medical cannabis possession and use. While a stated objective of legalization was to prevent people from entering the criminal justice system for cannabis possession, we lack evidence about whether this objective has been achieved. This study aims to compare drug offences among people who experienced incarceration in Ontario, Canada, before and after cannabis legalization. METHODS: We used offence…
Police encounters among people who use drugs in Toronto, Canada
Machine learning used to study risk factors for chronic diseases
OBJECTIVES: Machine learning (ML) has received significant attention for its potential to process and learn from vast amounts of data. Our aim was to perform a scoping review to identify studies that used ML to study risk factors for chronic diseases at a population level, notably those that incorporated methods to mitigate algorithmic bias. We focused on ML applications for the most common risk factors for chronic disease: tobacco use, alcohol u…
Sociology (18 obras) · Criminology (16 obras) · Political science (13 obras) · Law (11 obras) · Psychology (11 obras) · Cannabis (10 obras) · Crime Patterns and Interventions (10 obras) · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis (10 obras) · Gender Studies (10 obras) · Criminal justice (9 obras)