The role of procedural justice in how young adult stimulant users perceive police and policing

Abstract

Procedural justice is concerned with ensuring police treat those they interact with fairly and make fair decisions. It is a key strategy for promoting willingness to cooperate with police. Litle is known, however, about how procedural justice might influence young adult drug users. This study compares perceptions of police and policing and willingness to cooperate with police in a population-based sample of young adult amphetamine-type stimulant users and non-users, using both quantitative and qualitiative data. The findings suggest that procedural justice-based policing promotes positive perceptions of police and increases support for, and willingness to cooperate with, police among young adult illicit drug users.