News Release
August 8, 2024
Press@ussc.gov

 

EMBRACING THE PUBLIC’S IDEAS TO IMPROVE SENTENCING, 
COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTS POLICY PRIORITIES 

Priorities Reflect Calls to Simplify Sentencing, Reduce the Costs of Unnecessary Incarceration, 
and Promote Public Safety 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each year, the bipartisan U.S. Sentencing Commission votes to adopt priorities that will guide its annual policymaking process. This summer, the Commission solicited priorities from the public, asking how the agency can improve federal sentencing. In response, the Commission received more than 1,200 pages of insightful comments from judges, members of Congress, executive branch officials, probation officers, advisory groups, attorneys, professors, advocates, organizations, incarcerated individuals, and others.

Today, the Commission voted unanimously to commit to prioritize one or more of the clear themes that emerged from the comments it has received, which included:

  • Simplifying the federal Sentencing Guidelines and clarifying their role in sentencing. This includes revision of the “categorical approach” for purposes of the career offender guideline and possibly amending the Guidelines Manual to address the three-step process and the use of departures and policy statements relating to specific personal characteristics; 
  • Reducing the costs of unnecessary incarceration; 
  • Promoting public safety; 
  • Improving community supervision; 
  • Expanding the Commission’s use of expertise, evidence, and best practices; and 
  • Promoting evidence-based approaches to offense and individual characteristics. Read the full list of priorities.

“Today’s vote proves one thing: when you speak to the Commission, you will be heard,” said Judge Carlton W. Reeves, Chair of the Commission. “Our final priorities will allow us to give each public comment the attention it deserves. This is the first step in translating the public’s priorities into policies that improve federal sentencing. As we move forward, we will continue to seek out and obtain guidance from the public and stakeholders across the criminal justice system.” Watch a recording of today's meeting.

A compilation of public comment can be reviewed here. Visit www.ussc.gov for more information about the amendment process.

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The United States Sentencing Commission, an independent agency in the judicial branch of the federal government, was created in 1985 to ensure federal sentencing policy reflects certainty, fairness, and advancement in knowledge of human behavior.