Press Release
FAMM releases statement after U.S. Sentencing Commission proposes amendments to federal sentencing guidelines
For Media Inquiries:
Tripp Laino, 202-999-4273
tlaino@famm.org
FAMM releases statement after U.S. Sentencing Commission proposes amendments to federal sentencing guidelines
WASHINGTON – FAMM General Counsel Mary Price released the following statement after the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC) met today to announce proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines.
The amendments would touch several areas in the guidelines, including compassionate release, acquitted conduct and the drug safety valve.
“We have urged the Commission to expand the grounds for compassionate release, and to make it clear that judges have the same discretion the Bureau of Prison has to adjust a sentence when circumstances warrant it,” said Mary Price, FAMM’s general counsel. “We are pleased that the Commission’s proposed amendments would accomplish both these objectives.”
The Commission unanimously approved the proposed amendments and will now accept public comments until March 14.
FAMM has been very active in encouraging the Commission to revisit the policy statement governing compassionate release, which had not been updated since the First Step Act passed in 2018.
Since 1987, the USSC has been writing and updating the federal sentencing guidelines, which are used when calculating sentences in federal criminal cases. See FAMM’s guide to the USSC Guidelines here.
For more than three decades, FAMM has united the voices of affected families, the formerly incarcerated, and a range of stakeholders and advocates to fight for a more fair and effective justice system. FAMM has led the fight to reform extreme mandatory sentencing laws and to promote rehabilitation and dignity for all people in prison, 94 percent of whom will return to our neighborhoods one day.
###
FAMM is a national nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice policies that safely reduce incarceration, save taxpayer dollars, and keep families together. Founded in 1991, FAMM has secured bold sentencing and prison reform across the country while elevating the voices of directly impacted individuals and families.