A Small Minnesota County Pumps Out 40 Percent of the State's Drug-Free Zone Sentences
Local news reports detail how Polk County, Minnesota, charges drivers and petty offenders with drug-free zone violations like no other county in the state.
Drug-Free School Zones
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Quietly Kills Clemency Initiative for Drug-Free School Zone Offenders
Lee announced in 2021 that he was fast-tracking clemency petitions for inmates serving mandatory minimums that had since been repealed. Earlier this year, he scrapped the program with applications still pending.
DARE Didn't Make Kids 'Say No' to Drugs. It Normalized Police in Schools.
DARE to Say No details the history of an anti-drug campaign that left an indelible mark on America.
Tennessee May Allow Resentencing for Drug-Free School Zone Offenders After Reason Investigation
A 2018 Reason investigation showed that the zones covered wide swaths of cities and turned minor drug crimes into prison sentences that rivaled those for murder or rape.
Tennessee Governor Announces Fast-Track Clemency Process for People Serving Outdated Drug-Free School Zone Sentences
Following a 2017 Reason investigation, Tennessee reformed its harsh drug-free school zone laws. But hundreds were left in prison.
Tennessee Reformed Its Harsh Drug-Free School Zone Laws. What About the Hundreds Still in Prison?
Inmates serving mandatory minimum sentences have been left behind.
Tennessee Passes Drug-Free School Zone Reforms Following Reason Investigation
The harsh laws covered large swaths of Tennessee's cities in enhanced sentencing zones and locked away minor drug offenders for years.
Tennessee May Finally Reform Draconian Drug-Free School Zone Laws
Too often, minor drug crimes turn into mandatory minimum offenses with lengthy sentences despite the fact these types of cases rarely involve drug dealing to minors.
Will Tennessee Finally Reform Its Draconian Drug-Free School Zone Laws?
The zones cover vast swaths of Tennessee's cities—and turn minor drug crimes into sentences usually reserved for rape and murder.
Calvin Bryant Was Serving a Draconian Mandatory Minimum Sentence. Now He's Free
Under Tennessee's harsh drug-free school zone laws, Bryant received a 17-year sentence for a first-time drug offense.
Calvin Bryant Got 17 Years In Prison Under Tennessee's Drug Laws. Now He's Asking The Governor For Clemency
"A toxic combination of harsh mandatory minimum sentencing, race, poverty and fatally arbitrary enforcement."
Tennessee Prosecutors Sunk a Bill to Reform the State's Punitive Drug-Free School Zone Law
A Reason investigation found the zones covered wide swaths of cities and buried first-time offenders under huge sentences.
The Myth of the Playground Pusher
In Tennessee and around the country, "drug-free school zones" are little more than excuses for harsher drug sentencing.
