The number of adults in the criminal justice system has soared due to prosecutions of drug related crimes and drug addicted offenders. Criminal offenders have rates of substance abuse and dependence that are more than 4 times that of the general non-criminal population. The shift in criminal justice practices, policies, and laws has resulted in racial disparities in the average length of sentences for comparable offenses.38% of inmates are African American while Latinos constitute 19% of the inmate population. There are major institutions that affect crime and carry out the application of justice for victims and punish offenders. This workshop examines the interconnectedness surrounding race crime and criminal justice including the differences in sentencing, crime and violence. Attention is given to racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal
justice system as it relates to substance abuse as well as the exploration of current research and practices.