SJC Approves Historic, Bipartisan Legislation To Address The Nation’s Exploding Prison Population

[ProSense]

SJC Approves Historic, Bipartisan Legislation To Address The Nation’s Exploding Prison Population

January 30, 2014

WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2014) – In a strong and bipartisan vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday approved legislation to confront the unsustainable growth of the federal prison population. Three Republicans joined with all 10 Democrats on the panel to report the bill to the full Senate.

The bill, a compromise agreement of the Smarter Sentencing Act, would lower nonviolent drug mandatory sentences, modestly expand the existing federal “safety valve,” and promote sentencing consistent with the bipartisan Fair Sentencing Act. Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a cosponsor of the bill introduced by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), hailed the Committee’s long-awaited action on sentencing reform and the progress it represents in dealing with a growing problem.

“The Judiciary Committee’s bipartisan work on this issue shows that turning a blind eye to our ever-expanding prison population is no longer an option,” Leahy said. “More than 50 percent of federal prisoners are incarcerated on drug offenses, and the simple truth is they are taking money away from victim services and other law enforcement priorities. It is that reality which has led groups like the National Task Force to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, which represents more than 1,000 state, local, and national victims’ organizations, to join with us and support the mandatory minimum sentencing reductions in the Smarter Sentencing Act. They understand, as do the many other supporters of this bill -- including law enforcement organizations like the Major City Chiefs Police Association -- that doing nothing makes us less safe. Doing nothing would be irresponsible.”

The government spends $6.4 billion annually on federal prisons, which is around one-quarter of the Justice Department’s budget. The amount has grown by nearly $2 billion in the last five years, and the increasing financial demand means less money for police on the streets and funding for crime prevention programs, as well as for prisoner reentry programs that seek to avoid repeat offenders. The Judiciary Committee held in September a hearing on mandatory minimum sentences, and last year Leahy presided over a hearing on rising prison costs.

Results and a webcast of Thursday’s executive business meeting can be found online.

http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/sjc-approves-historic-bipartisan-legislation-to-address-the-nations-exploding-prison-populatio

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http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024416438

[ProSense]

1. ACLU: Major Sentencing Reform Bill Moves to Senate Floor

Major Sentencing Reform Bill Moves to Senate Floor

WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today passed a bill that would significantly lower mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offenses and allow judges to use more discretion when determining sentences for non-violent drug offenses. The Committee also voted to add three new mandatory minimum sentences. The American Civil Liberties Union supports the base bill but opposes all new mandatory minimums.

The Smarter Sentencing Act passed with bipartisan support and now moves to the Senate floor for consideration by the full chamber.

"The Smarter Sentencing Act is the most significant piece of criminal justice reform to make it to the Senate floor in several years," said Laura W. Murphy, director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office. "Extreme, one-size-fits-all sentencing has caused our federal prison population to balloon out of control, and it’s time to change these laws that destroy lives and waste taxpayer dollars. We’re disappointed by the new mandatory minimums, but the base bill of the Smarter Sentencing Act is a much needed next step toward a fairer criminal justice system."

The Smarter Sentencing Act, introduced by Sen. Richard Durbin (D- Ill.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) earlier this year, reduces five, 10, and 20 year mandatory minimums to two, five, and 10 years respectively for certain drug offenses and gives judges more leeway when sentencing people who do not pose a public safety risk. It also applies the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the sentencing disparity between offenses for crack and powder cocaine, to people who were sentenced before its passage and are still serving overly long prison terms that would be shorter if sentenced today. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is also a cosponsor of the bill.

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https://www.aclu.org/criminal-law-reform/major-sentencing-reform-bill-moves-senate-floor