Saturday, January 28, 2017

Sentencing Reform at the End of the 114th Congress

"On December 23, 2016, the House Judiciary Committee reported the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3713). The Senate Judiciary Committee had previously reported a corresponding proposal, as Title I of the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 (S. 2123). The 114th Congress ended before final differences could be resolved. The two bills would have adjusted sentencing provisions in the case of certain drug and firearms convictions. More specifically, they would have:

afforded federal courts the opportunity to avoid by way of “safety valves” certain mandatory minimum sentences when sentencing low-level, non-violent drug offenders;

modified the mandatory minimum sentences applicable to certain recidivist drug offenders; completed the task of making the Fair Sentencing Act (FSA) retroactive;

revised the mandatory minimum sentences for the possession of a firearm in furtherance of various drug or violent offenses;

reduced the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) mandatory minimums, but increased the maximum sentence for unlawful firearm possession...".
Sentencing reform

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