From Families Against Mandatory Minimums (http://famm.org/):
The U.S. Sentencing Commission has released a set of proposed priorities for its work that could result in new and amended guidelines late next year.
As always, the commission has asked for public comment on the proposals. This is your chance to tell the commission what you think about its proposals and what you think should be on their priorities list.
There is much in this year’s set of proposed priorities that should interest FAMM members. The commission proposes to study the guideline that considers whether or how the loss of caregiving or financial support of minor children should be grounds for a “departure” below the guideline range.
The commission also proposes a study about the use of compassionate release, asking if the guideline for judges considering compassionate release motions “effectively encourages the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to file a motion for compassionate release when ‘extraordinary and compelling reasons’ exist.” Any attention on federal compassionate release is welcome and reform is needed. FAMM has worked on compassionate release for years and testified before the commission in 2016.
But, some proposed priorities we would like to see are missing, including any reference to relief for first offenders, a priority the commission pursued but then dropped last year without a vote.
FAMM will be writing in response to the commission’s invitation and you can too. The deadline for the commission to receive comment is August 10, 2018. So, send an email today! You’ll find a sample letter on our website.
Email the U.S. Sentencing Commission at pubbaffairs@ussc.gov.
You can read more about the commission’s priorities on our website. Thank you for your support.
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