The impact of America’s punishment policies is often measured in numbers: there are now 2.2 million people in our jails and prisons; one in a hundred and fifteen adults is confined behind bars; our inmate population is four times larger than it was in 1980. “We Are Witnesses,” a collection of short videos, offers a
National Take Back Drugs Day
This Saturday, October 28, 2017, the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends,
30 Years Later: A Look Back at the Original Sentencing Guidelines
On Monday, October 23, 2017, distinguished members of the Judiciary, past and present Commissioners, and leading scholars commemorated the original U.S. Sentencing Commission and marked the 30th Anniversary of the Sentencing Guidelines at the Hofstra University Club.
A Year-and-a-Day for an Escape
PITTSBURGH -A former Fayette County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day of imprisonment on her conviction of escaping from federal custody following a prior federal felony conviction, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today. United States District
U.S. Sentencing Commission Publishes New Report on Drug Mandatory Minimums
Earlier today, the U.S. Sentencing Commission published an updated report on mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenders. The comprehensive report surveys recent sentencing trends for drug offenders subject to mandatory minimum penalties, as well as the impact such penalties have had on the Bureau of Prisons’ inmate population. Among the key findings was the impact
Second Circuit Affirms “Absurd” 180-Month Sentence but Still Remands
Sometimes the law is wrong even when it is right. Or, in the words of Judge Guido Calabresi, sometimes an otherwise substantively reasonable sentence can still be “absurd.” In United States v. Jones, 15-1518 (2d Cir. Oct. 5, 2017), the a “mentally deficient” defendant with an I.Q. of 69, appealed his 180-month sentence for biting the
Thirty Years of Federal Sentencing in Pictures
Below is a link to a presentation by Chief Research Officer Mark H. Allenbaugh. In the in-depth presentation he provides a statistical overview of how the sentencing landscape has changed under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines over the past 30 years. He notes how increased prosecution rates and average sentences have contributed to the explosion in the
Over 23 Years for Producing Child Pornography
A Missouri man Pleaded guilty on October 23, 2017 to producing child pornography involving a toddler, which carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment. The district court sentenced him to 23 years, 4 months. Sex offenders receive the highest average sentences at the federal level except for first-degree murder. They now constitute the third-largest
Florida Man Receives Nearly 25 Years for Sex Trafficking
A Florida man was convicted by a jury of trafficking a 14-year-old girl out of a motel room over a two-month period. Sex offenders receive the highest average sentences at the federal level except for murder. They now constitute the third-largest group of offenders housed by the federal Bureau of Prisons at over 15,000 inmates,
Marriage Fraud Conspirators Plead Guilty
A group of Chinese nationals has pleaded guilty to conspiring with U.S. citizens to enter into sham marriages with foreign nationals for purposes of evading immigration laws. Citizens were each paid $25,000 for their marriage to the foreign nationals. Conspiracy carries a five-year statutory maximum penalty. https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/naturalized-us-citizen-residing-albuquerque-pleads-guilty-federal-marriage-fraud-charge