Articles
Federal sentencing legislation
Articles filed under Legislation, newest first.
- Why Prisoners Were Left Out of COVID-19 Vaccine Trials
Strict federal rules on research with prisoners, written after decades of abuse, kept people in prison out of the 2020 COVID-19 vaccine trials.
- What the First Step Act Did in Its First Year
In its first year, the First Step Act shortened 2,387 crack cocaine sentences, opened the safety valve to more people, and nearly ended § 924(c) stacking.
- Why the First Step Act's Good Time Fix Didn't Bring People Home Right Away
A drafting problem tied the First Step Act's good time increase to a risk assessment system that didn't exist yet, so it took effect seven months late, on July 19, 2019.
- Will the First Step Act Lead to a Second Step in Prison Reform?
The First Step Act was expected to shrink federal prisons only modestly, so one scholar argued the next step should return them to a small, focused role.
- The First Step Act Was Only a First Step: The Case for More Reform
The First Step Act was a real but limited reform, and one prominent conservative argued Congress should make parts of it retroactive and go further.
- CARES Act Home Confinement: How COVID-19 Sent Some Federal Prisoners Home
The CARES Act's emergency home confinement power has ended, but people already placed on it can stay home for the rest of their sentence if they follow the rules.
- The Fair Sentencing Act Is Now Retroactive: What It Means for Old Crack Sentences
If your crack cocaine offense was committed before August 3, 2010, and the 2010 law never helped you, you may be able to ask the judge for a shorter sentence.
- The First Step Act, Explained: What It Means for a Federal Prisoner
The First Step Act shortened some federal sentences and gave people in federal prison new ways to earn an earlier release, from time credits to compassionate release.
- Can Someone in the U.S. Unlawfully Have a Gun? Federal Law Says No
It is a federal crime for someone in the U.S. unlawfully to have a gun or ammunition, and Second Amendment challenges to that law have so far failed.
- The Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act: Restitution in Child Pornography Cases
In a federal child pornography trafficking or possession case, the court must order at least $3,000 in restitution for each victim, and victims can also draw on a federal fund.
- The First Step Act of 2018, Section by Section, in Plain English
The First Step Act changed how federal prisoners earn time off, let them ask a judge for compassionate release, and shortened some drug and gun sentences.
- The First Step Act Passes the Senate, 87-12
The Senate passed the First Step Act 87-12 on December 18, 2018, and the President signed it into law three days later.
- McConnell Agrees to a Senate Vote on the First Step Act
After weeks of pressure from both parties and the White House, Mitch McConnell agreed to a Senate vote on the First Step Act, which passed days later.
- Senators Press McConnell to Allow a Vote on the First Step Act
In November 2018, only Mitch McConnell stood between the First Step Act and a Senate vote. The pressure worked, and the bill became law a month later.
- November 2018: A Senate Deal Adds Sentencing Reform to the First Step Act
A November 2018 Senate deal combined prison reform with sentencing reform, and that combined bill became the First Step Act a month later.
- First Step Act FAQs: What the Law Means for Federal Prisoners Today
The First Step Act shortened some federal drug and gun sentences, made crack relief retroactive, and created new ways to earn time off or ask for early release.
- The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act: Could It Pass in 2018?
The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act never passed on its own, but many of its changes, including retroactive crack relief, became law in the First Step Act.
- Was Jeff Sessions Wrong About Federal Sentencing Reform?
Sessions warned that sentencing reform would put dangerous people back on the streets, but the data showed mandatory minimums were driving federal prison growth.
- Six Changes the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act Proposed, and Which Became Law
Most of the bill's six big changes became law in the First Step Act of 2018. Its new mandatory minimums and national commission did not.
- First Step Act, August 2018: DOJ Opposed It, the White House Pushed a Deal
In August 2018, the Justice Department opposed the First Step Act, but the White House backed a Senate deal to add sentencing reform, and that deal later became law.