Senate considering big changes
The Senate is considering a prison reform bill that "reins in some of the most draconian sentencing provisions that for a generation have sent America's prison population soaring," write Alex Altman and Maya Rhodan of TIME.com.
According to that article, the bill would do the following:
*Remove the "three strikes" law that calls for mandatory life sentences
*Allow 6,500 crack cocaine offenders to challenge their sentences by retroactively applying a 2010 bill that leveled the penalties for crack and powder cocaine
*Reduce solitary confinement in juvenile facilities
^Empower judges to use more discretion by abandoning mandatory sentencing guidelines
The timeline for when the bill might move to the House is unclear, but supporters are hopeful its bipartisan support will help its chances of becoming law.
What's going on with prison reform in America? - CNN.com
The Senate is considering a prison reform bill that "reins in some of the most draconian sentencing provisions that for a generation have sent America's prison population soaring," write Alex Altman and Maya Rhodan of TIME.com.
According to that article, the bill would do the following:
*Remove the "three strikes" law that calls for mandatory life sentences
*Allow 6,500 crack cocaine offenders to challenge their sentences by retroactively applying a 2010 bill that leveled the penalties for crack and powder cocaine
*Reduce solitary confinement in juvenile facilities
^Empower judges to use more discretion by abandoning mandatory sentencing guidelines
The timeline for when the bill might move to the House is unclear, but supporters are hopeful its bipartisan support will help its chances of becoming law.
What's going on with prison reform in America? - CNN.com