{"id":85807,"date":"2018-03-13T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2018-03-13T12:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sentencing.net\/?p=85807"},"modified":"2019-11-06T11:06:39","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T16:06:39","slug":"sentencing-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sentencing.net\/sentencing\/sentencing-alternatives","title":{"rendered":"Sentencing Alternatives To Prison Cheered By Reformers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

It is becoming increasingly clear that America\u2019s experiment with mass incarceration is a failure. The United States has the dubious distinction of being the world leader in the number of citizens sitting behind bars even though our country is not the world leader in safer communities. Sentencing alternatives are needed.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the problem. The huge racial and ethnic disparities in prison populations, the unsettling statistics on the likelihood of young people landing in jail rather than college, and the ever-increasing news stories about private corporations buying off politicians so they can run for-profit, privately owned prisons has sent a combined message to the nation that something with our prison system must change.<\/p>\n

Some states, like New Jersey, have recently enacted legislation to aggressively de-populate prisons with some success. It also appears that the United States Sentencing Commission<\/a> (USSC) is joining the chorus by amending the Federal Sentencing Guidelines to allow for more sentencing alternatives that do not include incarceration. Let\u2019s take a closer look at that amendment.<\/p>\n

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Sentencing Alternatives<\/p><\/div>\n

USSC\u2019s Proposed Amendment on Sentencing Alternatives<\/h2>\n

In mid-2017, the USSC publicly announced that it would consider an amendment to increase the availability of alternatives to incarceration as part of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Specifically, the USSC engaged in a multi-year study on recidivism.<\/p>\n

The study showed that \u201cfirst offenders\u201d generally pose the lowest risk of recidivism. In addition, that conclusion comports with federal law already on the books, which directs that alternatives to incarceration are generally appropriate for first offenders who are not convicted of a violent or otherwise serious offense.<\/p>\n

Accordingly, the proposed amendment allows for first offenders to get a decrease in their applicable \u201coffense level.\u201d That designation will, essentially, open up non-incarceration alternatives to a broader group of first-time offenders.<\/p>\n

Sentencing Reform Advocates Applaud the Proposed Amendment<\/h2>\n

The Sentencing Project, a sentencing reform non-profit research and advocacy organization; Human Rights Watch; Gamaliel, a faith organization for change; and the American Civil Liberties Union all signed on to a joint letter commending the USSC for its proposed amendment on sentencing alternatives.<\/p>\n

The joint letter noted that criminological research supports the view that more people should be eligible for sentencing alternatives. It emphasizes that using sentencing alternatives will not compromise public safety, and will<\/p>\n