“The federal criminal justice system remains sorely in need of additional reform and the latest USSC amendments are a welcome step in that direction. It’s no surprise that reforms to onerous supervision and overly long drug sentences received unanimous support given policies like these are backed by strong bipartisan support time and again in public opinion polling.

“We hope to see these changes go into effect on November 1 and encourage the Commission to continue this important work.”

Background:

The USSC amendments referenced above expand judicial discretion regarding the length and conditions of supervised release and provide guidance on modifying supervision terms, including early termination, and shorten some drug sentences to more accurately differentiate depending on the role someone played in the offense.

In March, FWD.us submitted a public comment supporting the proposed changes to supervised release and reducing drug sentences, the full comment is available here. In addition, on March 12, Elissa Johnson, Vice President of Criminal Justice Campaigns, testified before the United States Sentencing Commission in favor of changes to the federal sentencing guidelines that would reduce disproportionately long drug sentences and support the Commission’s use of a more evidence-based approach to drug sentencing.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission is a bipartisan, independent federal agency created by Congress in 1984 to reduce sentencing disparities and promote transparency and proportionality in sentencing. The Commission collects and analyzes data on federal sentencing practices. It also develops and amends sentencing guidelines for the judicial branch and advises other branches in developing effective and efficient crime policies.