Policy research

Links to drug policy publications, reports and presentations by Will Brownsberger.

• Studies on drug use and drug dealing
• Prevalence of frequent cocaine use in urban poverty areas (peer reviewed article)
• Profile of anti-drug law enforcement in urban poverty areas (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded report)
• Criminal justice strategies for reducing substance abuse and related mayhem (presentation)
• Race matters — disproportionality of drug sentencing in Massachusetts (peer reviewed article)
• Studies on school zone sentencing policy
  • An empirical study of the school zone law in three cities in Massachusetts (Gardner Howland Shaw Foundation funded report)
  • Peer-reviewed article on the school zone law in Massachusetts (based on GHS report)
    Congressional testimony on school zone issue
  • Visuals for testimony before U.S. House Judiciary Committee, April 12, 2005
  • Prepared Text for testimony before U.S. House Judiciary Committee, April 12, 2005
• Studies on drug treatment in the criminal justice system
• Potential demand for substance abuse treatment in the criminal justice system (peer-reviewed article)
• Rewarding results: improving the quality of treatment for people with alcohol and drug problems (panel report)
• Treatment quality a critical issue for drug courts (presentation)
• Drug addiction and drug policy: the struggle to control dependence (co-edited and authored book)
• Screening and Brief Intervention in the criminal justice system (white paper)

2007-8 legislation on retail drug sentencing reform:

• Bill text — H 1336
• Analysis and explanation of bill
• Power point discussion of bill

(House 1336 was not passed in the 2007-8 session, but school zone modifications were included in the Judiciary’s Committee draft, which was released to the floor but not acted on in the final days of the formal session.)

Links to 2009-10 legislation on retail drug sentencing reform.

• Bill text — H 1296 (dangerousness of retail drug offenses)
• Bill text — H 1297 (moderate sentences for drug offenders)

Click here for a Google web listing of references to work on drug related issues.