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U.S. Sentencing Commission Urged to Give Judges More Flexibility

By David Badertscher, PLL

In her September 11, 2009 Washington Post article "U.S. Sentencing Commission Urged to Give Judges More Flexibility", Kari Lydersen writes that advocates for added flexibility in criminal sentencing have now appealed to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, testifying at a public hearing held in Chicago on September 9 and 10. The Chicago hearing are part of of the Commission's first nationwide series of public hearings since federal guidelines first came into effect 22 years ago.

According to Ms. Lydersen, "Criminal justice reform proponents have long pushed the federal government to back alternatives to incarceration and more flexible sentencing for drug, child pornography and other convictions. While past critics of federal guidelines criticized them for removing judges' discretion, others in law enforcement and advocacy want to use the guidelines to promote alternative sentencing. They said they think the commission is increasingly receptive to that idea"

 

 

 

 

 

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on September 11, 2009 (boomark / email).