SECOND CHANCE ACT MOVES CLOSER TO PASSAGE December 18, 2007
Posted by FairSentencing in : Current News , add a commentMonday evening the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a concurrent resolution that makes minor technical changes to the Second Chance Act of 2007 (H.R.1593), which passed the House on Nov. 13th with a 347-62 vote. The resolution was made to address Senate concerns and includes new language to change the match for state and local government reentry grants and clarify the eligibility requirements for the elderly offender pilot program. This vote brings the legislation one step closer to being signed into law in 2008. Senate sponsors hope to vote on the bill later this week.
The Second Chance Act of 2007 was introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Danny Davis (D-IL) and Chris Cannon (R-UT) and Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Arlen Specter (R-PA). The legislation, which enjoys broad bipartisan support from both chambers of Congress, authorizes a number of reentry grant programs including a grant program for state and local governments to develop reentry initiatives and a reentry program for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services.
Sentencing Reform Updates December 16, 2007
Posted by FairSentencing in : Current News , add a comment– On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in our favor on two different sentencing reform cases, Kimbrough v. United States and Gall v. United States. Both of these decisions clarify the “reasonableness” standard of sentencing guideline appeals, ultimately increasing the discretion given to lower courts at sentencing.
– On Tuesday, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted in favor of making the crack cocaine amendment retroactive. As a result, 19,500 federal prisoners are eligible to apply for a sentence reduction.
– Also on Tuesday, President Bush commuted the sentence of a FAMM member, Michael Short, who is serving a federal sentence of almost 20 years for a crack offense.
As you know, FAMM has been intimately involved in pushing for each of these victories and we’ve been inundated with media as a result. FAMM President, Julie Stewart, did an incredible job on Wednesday’s Diane Rehm show on NPR. Listen to the show now. And FAMM’s Vice President and General Counsel, Mary Price, was a guest on NPR’s All Things Considered on Thursday. Listen to the segment.
FAMM has also been mentioned and quoted in various major newspapers around the country. Click here to read an article about Julie Stewart in The Washington Post.
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