Pubdate: Mon, 27 Mar 2006
Source: Tomah Journal, The (WI)
Copyright: 2006 The Tomah Journal
Contact:  http://www.tomahjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4120
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DRUG-FREE SCHOOL ZONES? TRY GIMMICK-FREE LEGISLATURES

Government by gimmick fails again. This time, it's drug-free school zones.

Research released last week by the Justice Policy Institute showed that 
drug-free school zones have virtually no impact on youth drug abuse. 
Drug-free school zones were created by Congress in 1988, and Wisconsin 
passed a companion law in 1989. The laws enhanced penalties for drug 
offenses committed within 1,000 feet of a school, public park, youth 
center, swimming pool, etc.

The laws are silly. The very fact that drugs are illegal makes every square 
inch of American soil a "drug-free" zone. Drug crimes that occur within 
these zones rarely involve people under 18. In Massachusetts, for example, 
less than 1 percent of offenses in drug-free zones involve juveniles, but 
the law, in effect, considers a drug deal done in Milwaukee more heinous 
than one conducted in a Monroe County farm field.

Why? Because densely populated urban areas place most people within 1,000 
feet of a school, public park, youth center or swimming pool at any given 
time. Not only is most drug-dealing committed within drug-free zones, so is 
most of the robbery, vandalism, disorderly conduct, domestic abuse and 
drunk driving. Since dense population areas contain a disproportionate 
percentage of minorities, the main impact of drug-free school zones has 
been the unintended consequence of imposing harsher drug sentences on 
blacks and Hispanics than on whites. Even if the intent of the drug-free 
zones was to give prosecutors another sentencing weapon against the most 
egregious drug dealers, it's still not worth the corrosive side effect of 
injecting racial disparities into the criminal justice system.

Gimmicks like drug-free school zones are irresistible for politicians. They 
create good press releases for the legislation's authors, and it's the rare 
lawmaker who has the courage to vote against anything that sounds good in a 
focus group. It's not until years later that citizens discover the 
inadvertent consequences.

Drug-free school zones? Let's create gimmick-free zones where lawmakers meet.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D