Contact: Gina DiGravio(617) 638-8491[email protected]
MEDIA ADVISORY/PRESS BRIEFING
SCHOOL ZONE ANTI-DRUG LAW STUDY
BOSTON, MA-- A study released today by Join Together, a project of Boston University School of Public Health, finds that the 1989 Massachusetts' School Zone Anti-Drug law fails to drive drug dealers away from Massachusetts schools. The Join Together study reviewed the role of the school zone law in 443 drug dealing cases in Fall River, New Bedford, and Springfield. A press briefing discussing the study findings will be held at Boston University School of Public Health on Wednesday, July 18, at 10:30 a.m.
"It appears from the study findings that the school zone statute does not make the areas around schools particularly safe for children," said Will Brownsberger, senior criminal justice advisor, Join Together, and co-author of the study. "This study gives further support for the sentencing reform package developed by the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission and similar sentencing reform proposals." Brownsberger added, "This is a state-wide issue. District Attorneys Paul Walsh and William Bennett deserve enormous credit for their openness in allowing us to review their records."
WHAT: School Zone Anti-Drug Law study press briefing
WHO: Will Brownsberger, Senior Criminal Justice Advisor, Join Together
WHERE: Boston University School of Public HealthTalbot Building, 3rd Floor Board Room715 Albany StreetBoston, MA
WHEN: Wednesday, July 18, 200110:30 a.m.
The study showed the following:
1. School zones, the areas within 1000 feet of schools, cover 29% of the areas of the study cities, 56% of the high poverty areas within the cities.
2. Although less than 1% of the drug-dealing cases involved sales to minors, most of the cases, approximately 80%, occurred within school zones, apparently because of the density of schools in high-poverty/high-drug-dealing areas.
3. Most school zone cases are "broken down" - defendants plead to lesser charges and receive less than the two-year mandatory minimum sentence for dealing in a school zone.
4. Decisions to "break down" charges are not influenced by proximity to schools or time of day.
5. Most drug dealers commit their offenses close to home and most school-zone-charged dealers reside in school zones.
6. Overlapping school zone boundaries are chaotic and confusing in the studied inner city areas.
7. The school zone statute fails to push drug dealing away from schools-the density of dealing within 250 feet of schools is similar to the density of dealing at greater distances.
The full text of the study will be available online after 10:30 am on Wednesday, July 18, at www.jointogether.org.
Join Together is a national resource for communities fighting substance abuse and gun violence. A project of the Boston University School of Public Health, Join Together is funded by grants from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Joyce Foundation and David Bohnett Foundation. The Harpel Foundation provided development funding for the school zone study, while the Gardner Howland Shaw Foundation provided operational funding.
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