Press Release

Contact:
Tripp Laino, 202-999-4273
tlaino@famm.org

FAMM releases statement on nominations to the U.S. Sentencing Commission

WASHINGTON – FAMM General Counsel Mary Price released the following statement after President Biden nominated seven people to serve on the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC).

“Too many politicians today seem intent on using criminal justice policy to score political points,” Price said. “Nominees to the nonpartisan Sentencing Commission, on the other hand, should be guided by research, data and evidence, not emotions or a looming election. The agency has been the source of some of the most meaningful reforms of the past 10 years. These reforms have reduced excessive federal drug sentences for tens of thousands of people. Confirming these nominees to the Sentencing Commission can and should be the first step to building on that progress.”

Since 1987, the USSC has been writing and updating the federal sentencing guidelines, which are used when calculating sentences in federal criminal cases. The commission has been without a quorum for more than three years. FAMM urged the Biden administration to fill the vacancies on the Commission as soon as the president took office. 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.

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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.