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We have an in-depth summary and analysis of the Sentencing Reform Act on our profile, but I will post it here as well. We would love your opinions or say Jeremy Haile, Michael Collins, Diane M Goldstein, Jesselyn McCurdy, Heather Rice-Minus, Alex Vikmanis.
H.R.3713 — Sentencing Reform Act of 2015
Summary; Op-Ed; Info
Summary
“This bill permits a court to reduce the mandatory minimum prison term imposed on certain nonviolent defendants convicted of a high-level first-time or low-level repeat drug offense (including unlawful import, export, manufacture, or distribution of, or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance).” This is also concerns non-violent firearm offenses as well as the stated drug offenses. This is especially in regards to criminals who are cooperative, remorseful, and/or juvenile.
This act does some of the following:
- allow courts to lower the minimum mandatory sentence for certain nonviolent crimes
- reduces larger mandatory sentences for crimes such as repeat drug offenses, firearm violence, or unlawful possession of a firearm
- creates new mandatory sentences for interstate domestic violence and to providing goods to terrorists
- requires to the Bureau of Prisons to create more program prison activity programs
- “makes permanent the pilot program to release nonviolent elderly offenders from prison facilities to home detention and expands eligibility for such release”
- must automatically seat and expunge certain records of juvenile nonviolent crimes and restricts juvenile solitary confinement except in rare cases
- ensures that violent crime offenders serve the full term of their sentence and do not get out of prison quickly or easily
This bill also reinstates to Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 to allow the “resentencing of convicted crack-cocaine offender(s) sentenced before August 3, 2010.”
https://4usxus.com/Bills/Details/s-2123_congress114
https://4usxus.com/Bills/Details/h-r-3713_congress114
Support for lowering mandatory minimum sentencing.
- Many people argue that high mandatory minimum sentencing can hurt the system and put good people behind bars, having it too “black and white.”
- A University of Minnesota study conducted by Law Professor Michael Tonry concluded that mandatory minimum sentences do not reduce crime. It is also his professional opinion that mandatory minimum sentences should be significantly lowered or even eradicated entirely.
- In theory, the mandatory minimum sentencing laws are to enable governments to get information for low-level offenders about higher ups in drug cartels, gangs, and criminal organizations; however, that has been shown to be largely incorrect due to the fact that the “rate of cooperation in cases involving mandatory minimums is comparable to the average rate in all federal cases.”
Economics
- The average cost to keep someone in jail is between $20,000 and $40,000 per year with some states’ cases going towards $60,000 per year such as New York.
- In total, prisons cost states’ upwards of $50 billion and is the second fastest growing area of state budgets.
Sponsors (4USXUS)?
- Virginia Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte — https://4usxus.com/Representatives/Details/G000289
- Authors — Bob Goodlatte, Sheila Jackson Lee, and John Conyers.
- This bill is cosponsored by nearly 50 other representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, all across the country.
Timeline
- Introduced — October 8th, 2015
- It has gone through various committees and subcommittees and has not been amended yet.
Related Bill(s)
- Identical — S.2123 — https://4usxus.com/Bills/Details/s-2123_congress114
Testimonials
- Bob Goodlatte — “The House Judiciary Committee has been hard at work on a number of bills to improve our nation’s criminal justice system and I am pleased that we have approved a bipartisan solution to reform federal sentencing requirements. The Sentencing Reform Act makes commonsense changes to federal sentencing laws to ensure our federal laws effectively and appropriately punish wrongdoers, work as efficiently and fairly as possible, and do not waste taxpayer dollars. It also ensures that serious violent criminals do not benefit from these reforms and serve the full time for their crimes in prison. The House Judiciary Committee will continue to work on other issues facing our criminal justice system and will unveil additional bills over the coming weeks.” (365)
- John Conyers — “I am pleased that the Committee today approved the Sentencing Reform Act, an important bill that provides a number of improvements to federal sentencing, any one of which would be considered a significant achievement standing alone. These changes will still allow for appropriate punishment and will actually make us safer. They will also save money by reducing the spending associated with needlessly long incarceration. In the future, I hope we will do even more to address this issue, but with this bill we have the opportunity — on a bipartisan basis — to address some of the injustices of these laws, including mandatory minimum sentencing, and to retroactively provide relief for some of those who have been subject to them.” (365)
- Sheila Jackson Lee — “HR 3713 — the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015 offers significant and positive sentencing reforms. I want to applaud the bipartisan effort that has taken place over the past several months to draft and introduce this critical legislation. Now that it has passed out of Committee, I want to urge my Colleagues in the House to support its passage. By helping to reduce lengthy prison sentences for certain non-violent drug offenses and providing those currently incarcerated with the opportunity to petition the court for a reduction in their sentence, this bill will serve as a powerful tool to right the wrongs of the past, ensure justice and equality moving forward, and become a launching pad for other necessary reforms in the future. I sincerely hope that this is merely the first step towards creating a more just and rational criminal justice system for the nation and its citizens.” (365)
Source(s)
https://4usxus.com/Bills/Details/h-r-3713_congress114
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3713/actions
http://politic365.com/2015/11/18/h-r-3713-sentencing-reform-act-reported-out-of-house-judiciary/
http://famm.org/h-r-3713-sentencing-reform-act/
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/us/prison-reform-overview/
http://thelawdictionary.org/article/what-is-the-average-cost-to-house-inmates-in-prison/
http://www.thecrimereport.org/news/inside-criminal-justice/2012–02-the-high-cost-of-prisons-using-scarce-resources-wise
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/opinion/a-conservative-case-for-prison-reform.html?_r=0
