Historique
Périodique
An empirical study of the school zone anti-drug law in three cities in Massachusetts
(Etude empirique de la loi anti-drogues dans les périmètres scolaires dans trois villes du Massachusetts)
Auteur(s) :
BROWNSBERGER W. N. ;
AROMAA, S. E. ;
BROWNSBERGER C. N. ;
BROWNSBERGER S. C.
Année
2004
Page(s) :
933-949
Langue(s) :
Anglais
ISBN :
0022-0426
Refs biblio. :
9
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
LOI (Loi et son application / Law enforcement)
Thésaurus mots-clés
LEGISLATION
;
MILIEU SCOLAIRE
;
GEOGRAPHIE
;
VENTE
Thésaurus géographique
ETATS-UNIS
Note générale :
Journal of Drug Issues, 2004, 34, 933-949
Note de contenu :
tabl. ; fig.
Résumé :
ENGLISH :
This study reviewed the role of a law providing enhanced penalties for drug dealing within 1,000 feet of a school in 443 drug-dealing cases in three cities in Massachusetts: Fall River, New Bedford, and Springfield. We reviewed district attorneys case files and mapped drug-dealing incidents using a combination of geographic information systems and location visits with a hand-held geographic positioning system. School zones the areas within 1,000 feet of schools cover 29% of the areas of the study cities and 56% of the high-poverty areas within the cities. Although less than 1% of the drug-dealing cases involved sales to minors, approximately 80% of the cases occurred within school zones, apparently because of the density of schools in high-poverty/high-drug-dealing areas. 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. Decisions to break down charges are not influenced by proximity to schools or time of day. Most drug dealers commit their offenses close to home, and most dealers charged with dealing in school zones reside in school zones. Overlapping school zone boundaries are chaotic and confusing in the inner city areas studied. 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. (Author's abstract.)
Affiliation :
Div. Addictions, Harvard Med. Sch.
Etats-Unis. United States.
Etats-Unis. United States.