In Minnesota, the epicenter of prosecutions for violating drug-free school and park zone laws isn't Minneapolis, but small Polk County. The county contains less than 1 percent of the state's population, but it's responsible for 40 percent of its drug-free school prosecutions, more than any other county, according to local news reports.
The charging practices were first reported by the Grand Forks Herald last year. The Minnesota Reformer followed up with an investigation last week revealing how Polk County prosecutors used drug-free zone laws to target petty drug offenders who inadvertently drove through one of the numerous zones or were in a private residence. The Reformer found that the number of drug-free school zone charges in Polk County skyrocketed after the state lowered the criminal penalties for petty drug crimes.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have drug-free zone laws, which enhance sentences for drug crimes committed within a certain distance of schools, parks, daycares, or other designated areas. The laws were passed in the 1980s and 1990s with the goal of deterring drug activity around places where children congregate.
