FAMM sentencing news archive 2010

 
12/31/10 - Prisoners need help before being released
Letter to the editor by Barbara Dougan, Boston Globe
 
 
12/30/10 - Mr. Obama's lackluster pardons
Editorial, The Washington Post
 
 
12/22/10 - Sentencing reform is not a liberal or conservative issue
 
 
12/22/10 - Crack sentences still tough
 
 
12/22/10 - My life saved by reprieve of 24-year sentence for crack
 
 
12/20/10 - The difference between crack and powder cocaine: The punishment
Charles Lane, Change.org
 
 
12/17/10 - Want to cut spending? Invest in Jim Webb's Criminal Justice Commission
 
 
12/11/10 - Letter to the editor by Julie Stewart
 
 
12/3/10 - Obama pardons his first convicts
 
 
11/6/10 - A no-pardon Justice Department
Op-ed by Samuel T. Morison in the Los Angeles Times
 
 
11/4/10 - A brighter future: New parole eligibility law take effect
Commentary by FAMM's Barb Dougan on the Blue Mass Group blog.

 
11/1/10 - Federal sentencing guidelines change today for some crimes
 
 
10/28/10 - President Obama denies batch of pardons
 
 
10/20/10 - New guidelines to reduce sentences in crack cocaine cases
 
 
10/15/10 - Traps for the innocent
Op-ed by Brian Walsh from the Heritage Foundation in the Bellingham Herald. Mentions FAMM.
 
 
10/6/10 - Fighting back against arbitrary government rule
Heritage Foundation blog, "The Morning Bell"
 
 
9/22/10 -- Life after crack
The Crime Report (feature on the Garrison family)
 
 
9/12/10 - Has partisan "soft on crime" politicking lost its punch?
 
 
9/11/10 - President Obama backing off strict crime policy
 
 
9/2/10 - The future of justice: Cost of incarceration, part III
 
 
8/30/10 - Try mandatory sentencing alternatives
Editorial, The Orlando Sentinel
 
 
8/30/10 - Too much time in prison
Opinion editorial by Stephen Sady in the National Law Journal
 
 
8/26/10 - Obama takes a crack at drug reform
Opinion editorial by Ethan Nadelmann in The Nation
 
 
8/24/10 - Creem's leadership skills brough drug sentencing reform
Letter to the editor by Barbara J. Dougan in Wicked Local, Newton, MA
 
 
8/18/10 - Too tough on crime
Editorial, The Gainesville Sun
 
 
8/13/10 - Florida's mandatory minimum laws produce uneven sentences
 
 
8/12/10 - Some victories in criminal justice reform
The Valley Advocate, Massachusetts
 
 
8/10/10 - Progress on smarter sentencing
Editorial, Metrowest Daily News
 
 
8/9/10 - Massachusetts gets tough on illegal gun possession
 
 
8/7/10 - CORI changes become the law
 
 
8/6/10 - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signs law changing CORI system
The Republican (via Masslive.com)
 
 
8/4/10 - Fair Sentencing Act positive model for bipartisan reform
Commentary by Julie Stewart for JURIST
 
 
8/4/10 - Well done Congress, now make Sentencing Act reform retroactive
Commentary by Julie Stewart for the Huffington Post
 
 
8/4/10 - Change in crack cocaine sentencing a rare victory for bipartisanship
Editorial, Mercury News, San Jose, Calif.
 
 
8/4/10 - A long time coming
Editorial, The Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, IA
 
 
8/3/10 - Obama signs bill reducing gap in cocaine sentences
 
 
8/3/10 - Obama signs law narrowing cocaine sentencing disparities
 
 
8/3/10 - New drug law narrows crack, powder cocaine sentencing gap
PBS NewsHour, hosted by Gwen Ifill, featuring guests Asa Hutchinson and Judge Reggie Walton. Watch video
 
 
8/3/10 - Fair Sentencing Act on agenda
 
 
8/3/10 - The Fair Sentencing Act corrects a long-time wrong in cocaine cases
Editorial, The Washington Post
 
 
8/3/10 - Crack-powder sentencing disparity: Whites get probation,blacks get a decade behind bars
 
 
8/3/10 - As Obama signs crack sentencing bill, supporters push for retroactivity
 
 
8/3/10 - Massachusetts partially reforms its mandatory drug laws
 
 
7/31/10 - The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010: It's about time
Editorial, The Los Angeles Tribune
 
 
7/31/10 - Crack cocaine penalty inequity finally reduced
Editorial, The San Francisco Chronicle
 
 
7/30/10 - Obama expected to ease crack-cocaine sentencing disparities
 
 
7/30/10 - Dan Lungren pushes for fairness
Debra Saunders, The San Francisco Chronicle
 
 
7/30/10 - Congress steps toward fairer drug sentencing
Editorial, The Chicago Sun Times
 
 
7/30/10 - Good fix for cocaine sentencing disparity
Editorial, The Dallas Morning News
 
 
7/30/10 - Not quite just, but a good step
Editorial, The Scranto Times-Tribune
 
 
7/30/10 - Congress affirms Hennepin County judge's call
 
 
7/30/10 - Revision of bad drug law long overdue
Editorial, The Columbus Ledger Enquirer
 
 
7/29/10 - Crack or powder - get it off our streets
Editorial, The Bristol Press, CT
 
 
7/29/10 - Cocaine sentencing gap still too wide
Editorial, Ft. Worth Star Ledger
 
 
7/29/10 - Closing the cocaine gap
Editorial, The Orange County Register
 
 
7/29/10 - Punishment disparity narrowed between crack and powder cocaine
 
 
7/29/10 - Deal would narrow sentencing disparities for cocaine-related offenses
Congressional Quarterly
 
 
7/28/10 - House eases crack cocaine sentences
 
 
7/28/10 - Congress votes to reduce cocaine/crack disparity
 
 
7/28/10 - Congress narrows the gap in cocaine sentences

The Washington Post (AP)

 

7/28/10 - Gap in federal cocaine sentences to narrow

Carrie Johnson, NPR
 

7/28/10 - Congress approves crack cocaine sentencing charges

Los Angeles Times

 

7/28/10 - Congress reduces drug sentence gap

New York Times

 

7/28/10 - Congress approves crack sentencing reform bill

Reason

 

7/28/10 - Congress passes crack cocaine sentencing bill

Main Justice

 

7/28/10 - Feds ready to tackle questions of crime

The Austin Chronicle

 

7/25/10 - The House should listen and learn

Editorial, The New York Times

 

7/23/10 - Reform means fairness; House vote would end disparity in crack sentencing

Commentary by Pat Nolan, Justice Fellowship, in The Washington Times

 

7/22/10 - New law would give U.S. tools to punish drug barons

Commentary by Eric Sterling, Criminal Justice Policy Institute, in The Houston Chronicle

 

7/22/10 - Penn & Teller on Showtime  

Penn & Teller take on the criminal justice system in the latest segment of their one-hour show program on Showtime. The comedians interview Richard Paey, a Florida man sentenced to a 15-year mandatory minimum for pain medicine who was later given a full pardon by then-Florida Gov. Charlie Christ.  Watch a preview of the show here.

 

7/22/10 - Rough justice in America: Too many laws, too many prisoners

The Economist (cover story)

 

7/21/10 - House can reduce powder cocaine vs. crack cocaine disparity

Editorial, The Washington Post

 

7/19/10 - Crunch time for sentencing reform

Commentary by Barbara Dougan in the Massachusetts blog, Bluemassgroup.com

 

7/14/10 - End the crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity

Commentary by Asa Hutchinson, former DEA chief, in Roll Call

 

6/26/10 - Fleeting taste of home, liberty

The Boston Globe

 

6/22/10 - Drug crimes: An incentive for rehabilitation

Editorial, The Boston Globe

 

6/21/10 - Alternatives to incarceration can save millions for cash-strapped states

Progressive States Network

 

6/21/10 - Big Reagan admirers fight laws he signed

Roll Call

 

6/16/10 - Judges give thumbs down to crack, pot, porn mandatory minimums, Law.com (National Law Journal)

 

6/16/10 - Dying Inside: Elderly in Prison

Al Jazeera English program

 

6/16/10 - Survey: Many judges think mandatory minimums too lengthy

NY Daily Record

 

6/15/10 - Crack and powder, Dems and Repubs

The San Francisco Chronicle, column by Debra Saunders

 

6/12/10 - Crack down on crime by reforming sentences

Editorial, The Herald News, Massachusetts

 

6/11/10 - Commission told one size fits all sentencing doesn't work

The Final Call

 

6/11/10 - Don't miss chance to reform mandatory sentences

Editorial, The Patriot Ledger, Massachusetts

 

6/10/10 - Last chance to reform sentencing

Editorial, The MetroWest Daily News, Massachusetts

 

6/8/10 - Justices approve Bureau of Prisons' calculations for 'good time credit'

The National Law Journal, Law.com

 

6/8/10 - High court "good time" ruling means longer time served

The Crime Report 

 

6/7/10 - One-size-fits-all government

John Stossel, Fox Business

 

6/6/10 - Massachusetts should drop mandatory drug sentences

Viewpoint by Barbara J. Dougan, Massachusetts FAMM project director, The Republican, Massachusetts

 

6/3/10 - New law changes criminal sentencing

The Post and Courier, South Carolina

 

6/3/10 - The crunch in federal prisons

The Crime Report

 

6/3/10 - Partial progress on justice reform

The Valley Advocate, Massachusetts

 

6/2/10 - Don't double down on mandatory minimums

Commentary on Main Justice by Mary Price

 

6/1/10 - Fairness of mandatory sentencing called into question

The Denver Post

 

5/20/2010 - Strange bedfellows

The Crime Report

 

5/17/10 - Editorial: The mandatory minimum crisis

The Gainesville Sun

 

5/14/10 - Criminal justice reform: States are leading the way

New York Times letter to the editor by Julie Stewart, FAMM president

 

5/13/10 - Imprisoned by mandates

Boston Globe column featuring FAMM member Michelle Collette

 

5/12/10 - Top five ridiculous prosecutions

UK Esquire

 

4/26/10 - Reformers: Council vital to change sentencing laws

Ocala.com

 

4/25/10 - Given Fla.'s budget, some look to ease sentencing laws

Ocala.com

 

4/23/10 - Mandatory sentences created a crisis

Commentary in the Tallahassee Democrat by Deborah Fleischaker, FAMM's state legislative affairs director and Lester Abberger, who works with FAMM in Florida.

 

4/18/10 - Once written off, 'crack babies' have grown into success stories

Washington Post

 

4/15/10 - Does the punishment fit the crime in Nevada case?

Kolotv.com, Elko, Nevada

 

3/23/10 - Sober sentencing for cocaine possession

Editorial, The Washington Post

 

3/23/10 - Senate takes key step on crack sentencing

Editorial, Chicago Post-Tribune

 

3/19/10 - Race and mythology in drug laws

Editorial, The New York Times

 

3/20/10 - The wait is also a crime

Adrian Walker, Boston Globe

 

3/21/10 - Crack and powder should not be black and white

Debra J. Saunders, San Francisco Chronicle

 

3/18/10 - Senate approves bill to shrink the crack gap

Reason, Hit & Run Blog

 

3/18/10 - Senate passes bill to reduce crack-powder disparity

The Crime Report

 

3/17/10 - Report finds states holding fewer prisoners

The New York Times

 

3/17/10 - Reefer Madness: Federal sentencing law up for (watered-down) reform

The Austin Chronicle

 

3/15/10 - Reducing the disparity

Editorial, The Mobile Press-Register

 

3/13/10 - Senate bill would reduce sentencing disparities in crack, powder cocaine cases

The Washington Post

 

3/12/10 - Mandatory minimum sentencing busts budgets and bloats nonviolent prison cells

Commentary by Deborah Fleischaker on JURIST

 

3/12/10 - Crack Whack

Editorial, the Detroit Free Press

 

3/12/10 - A vote to change some cocaine sentences

The New York Times

 

3/12/10 - Senate panel endorses cocaine sentencing bill

Main Justice

 

3/12/10 - Time for Justice in Sentencing Policy

Commentary, Main Justice

 

3/11/10 - Rethinking Crime - Again

Democracy Journal

 

3/11/10 - Senate Judiciary Committee agrees to cut disparity in sentencing

The Birmingham News

 

3/7/10 - State's sentencing laws flood jails and prisons

The Sacramento Bee, a Viewpoint by Ward Connerly, president of the American Civil Rights Institute.

 

2/3/10 - Common-sense step to nation's drug laws

The Oklahoman, a Point Of View by West Huddleston, CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.

 

1/21/10 - New state law reduced drug penalties in school zones

The Bergen Record, NorthJersey.com

 

1/15/10 - Needed latitude in drug sentencing

Editorial, Herald News

 

1/1/10 - Allow parole for drug offenders

Boston Globe editorial