Today, the U.S. Sentencing Commission “voted unanimously” to give “retroactive effect to its proposed permanent amendment to the federal sentencing guidelines that implements the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010,” a press release said.
The retroactively applicable guideline amendment for crack cocaine offenses will allow over 12,000 federal prisoners to seek resentencing. According to the Sentencing Commission and Families Again Mandatory Minimums, the average anticipated sentence reduction would be 37 months.
This is another important step in a series of moves over the last four years by Congress and the Commission to reduce unwarranted and unjust sentencing disparities between crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenders.
It’s a good day for federal prisoners.
It’s also a great day for taxpayers, who shoulder the burden of incarcerating drug offenders for decades under get-tough-on-crime laws passed in the 1980’s and 90’s.