called Monday for a three-pronged attack on Pennsylvania’s ongoing opioid epidemic including harsh mandatory minimum sentences for drug dealers whose sales result in fentanyl-related deaths, a new statewide reporting and mapping system for all drug overdoses, and expanded state funding for faith-based recovery houses.
“Many times the buyers overdose because they receive a much more powerful opioid than what they were bargaining for,” said Jeff Burkett, the district attorney in Jefferson County who endorsed Mastriano’s proposal. “The sellers of this poison know how dangerous fentanyl is. It is well-known in the drug world that it is akin to playing Russian roulette.”
Prosecutors would not be required to charge the new count in all fetanyl death cases, but it would be there as an option to use when they felt it appropriate.also attempts to distinguish between dealers selling for monetary gain and friends sharing a purchase, and the 25-year mandatory could not be applied to someone who made a good faith effort to get help for an overdosing addict.
According to the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, there were only 80 drug delivery resulting in death convictions recorded in Pennsylvania in 2019, out of 4,457 overdose deaths. And the money spent on a 25-year prison term, said Maria Goellner, Pennsylvania state policy director for FAMM, could be better used on other public safety or drug treatment objectives.The second prong of Mastriano’s package is a bill
Mastriano argued that having this information constantly available will help law enforcement, public health officials and policymakers sharpen their responses to the problem.
JanMurphy Thanks anyway Mastriano. I'll be voting for Josh Shapiro JoshShapiroPA for PA Governor.
The common conservative song & dance. Nothing useful or corrective here.
What is he going to do to stop gun violence, issue more guns for all?
JanMurphy Doug Mastriano deserves a harsh sentence. GOPTraitorsToDemocracy
dougmastriano / SenMastriano will swing for treason. (Or) For violations of “the Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 88 - Contempt Toward Public Officials states: 'Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress,”
4 step program… 1. Long sentencing for addicts 2. Let over-prescribing doctors continue to practice. 3. Support our troops. 4. Thoughts and Prayers.