New animation illustrates the real size of Connecticut Sentencing Enhancement Zones

New animation illustrates that at huge distances such as 1,500 feet, sentencing enhancement zones can't work.

by Bernadette Rabuy, June 18, 2015

One of the worst ideas to come out of the War on Drugs is sentencing enhancement zones. These laws mandate a higher penalty for crimes committed within a certain distance of schools. The intent is noble, but at huge distances like 1,500 feet, the laws are actually harmful.

Alternative Spring Break participant Arielle Sharma, research associate Elydah Joyce, and programmer Jacob Mitchell put together the illustration below to show just how far 1,500 feet really is. Just click on the image to understand why school zones fail to keep children safe. And check out our zones page for updates on the pending Connecticut bill that would roll back these zones, our reports on zones in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and our zones video.

To embed this animation on your own website, use this code:

</p> <div style="position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: calc(60% + 5px + 36px);"><iframe src="//static.prisonpolicy.org/zones/zonesslideshow.html" style="border: none; display:block; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; left: 0; top: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p>