{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3713-114/featured_sentencing-reform-act-of-2015-1454551543.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3713-114/featured_large_sentencing-reform-act-of-2015-1454551543.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr3713-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-10-08","title_override":"Should Non-Violent Federal Inmates Serve Shorter Sentences?","summary_override":"

This bill would allow some nonviolent federal inmates to seek shorter sentences.

It would accomplish this by retroactively applying the Fair Sentencing Act\n to federal prisoners who were already sentenced and serving time when \nthat law was signed in 2010. The Fair Sentencing Act narrowed \nlongstanding disparities in drug sentencing policy. Prior to its \npassing, you needed to be caught with 100 times more powder cocaine\n than crack cocaine to earn the same mandatory minimum sentence. (Even \nafter that reform, crack is still punished 18 times more harshly.)

This bill would would also reduce several\n other drug- and firearm-related mandatory minimum sentences, and these \nchanges would retroactively apply to current inmates. Particularly of \nnote, it would lower the current mandatory sentence of life without \nparole for offenders with three federal drug felonies, to a mandatory \nminimum of 25 years.

It also expands judges’ ability to use a \"safety valve,\" allowing them to show leniency to some repeat drug offenders.

","official_title":"To reform sentencing laws, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Sentencing Reform Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Sentencing Reform Act of 2015\n\nThis bill permits a court to reduce the mandatory minimum prison term imposed on certain non-violent defendants convicted of a high-level first-time or low-level repeat drug offense (including unlawful import, export, manufacture, or distribution of, or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance).\n\n The legislation expands safety valve eligibility to permit a court to impose a sentence below the mandatory minimum for certain non-violent, cooperative drug defendants with a limited criminal history.\n\nIt reduces the enhanced mandatory minimum prison term for certain defendants who commit a high-level repeat drug offense, use a firearm in a crime of violence or drug offense after a prior conviction for such offense, or unlawfully possess a firearm after three or more prior convictions. It permits retroactive application of such reductions for defendants without a prior serious violent felony conviction, after a court considers certain factors....","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable. ","impact":"The thousands of federal inmates whose sentences could be shortened, their families, the communities to which they will return, future inmates, state governments that may be influenced to amend state mandatory minimums, federal correctional staff, , and federal judges.","argument_for":"People who commit non-violent crimes shouldn't be imprisoned for decades and have their lives disrupted. Mandatory minimum sentences are too harsh, and prevent judges from issuing a sentence that fits the circumstances of the situation.","argument_against":"While non-violent drug crimes don't directly harm others, they promote anti-social behavior that destroys families and ruins lives through harmful substances. Mandatory minimum sentences are a harsh deterrent for would-be criminals.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr3713-114","bill_id":"hr3713-114","formal_id":"H.R. 3713","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2016-12-23T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/3713","plain_text_url":"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr3713ih/html/BILLS-114hr3713ih.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr3713-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/3713/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2015-10-08","related_bill_ids":["s2123-114"],"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":109,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Energy and Commerce","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Health","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF14","subcommittee":true},{"name":"Committee on the Judiciary","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSJU","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSJU08","subcommittee":true}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr3713-114","details":"/api/bills/hr3713-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr3713-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr3713-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr3713-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":79,"slug":"hr3713-114-sentencing-reform-act-of-2015","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":1460,"yea_vote_count":1165,"nay_vote_count":294,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["crime-and-police","government","families"],"issue_ids":["crime-and-police","federal-agencies","youth","government","families","prisons"],"sponsor_id":68}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"crime-and-police","name":"Crime & Police","slug":"crime-and-police","description":"Federal legislation related to the prevention of crimes(from assault to organized crime to juvenile crime), firearms and explosives, correctional facilities and terrorism. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.","page_title":"Crime Prevention Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/crime-and-police/black_crime-and-police-1429042040.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/crime-and-police/grey_crime-and-police-1429042040.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/crime-and-police/white_crime-and-police-1429042040.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"federal-agencies","name":"Federal Agencies","slug":"federal-agencies","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Federal Agencies. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Federal Agencies Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/black_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/grey_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/white_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"youth","name":"Youth","slug":"youth","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Youth. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Youth Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/youth/black_youth-1432222688.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/youth/grey_youth-1432222688.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/youth/white_youth-1432222688.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"government","name":"Government","slug":"government","description":"Federal legislation related to the operations of the US Federal Government. Bills can encompass government administration, regulation of political parties, the US postal service, US territories and public contracts.","page_title":"US Government - Federal legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/black_government-1453508811.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/grey_government-1453508811.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/white_government-1453508811.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"families","name":"Families","slug":"families","description":"Congressional legislation related to Families encompassing a wide variety of potential subjects, including: adoption child care, child safety, domestic violence and abuse, marriage, divorce and teenage pregnancy.","page_title":"Federal legislation related to Families - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/families/black_families-1429042038.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/families/grey_families-1429042038.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/families/white_families-1429042038.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"prisons","name":"Prisons","slug":"prisons","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding prisons. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Prisons Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/prisons/black_prisons-1453508994.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/prisons/grey_prisons-1453508994.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/prisons/white_prisons-1453508994.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Brett","vote_count":22,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/730608715127/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/730608715127/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/730608715127/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/730608715127/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/LWgDgoJZ/following","followers":"/api/users/LWgDgoJZ/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":1,"is_following":null,"influence_score":0,"influence_level":0,"follower_count":0,"following_count":0,"position_count":1,"id":"LWgDgoJZ","partner_id":null},{"name":"bart","vote_count":662,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/0emQpZxM/large_0emqpzxm-1424728285.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/0emQpZxM/small_0emqpzxm-1424728285.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/0emQpZxM/tiny_0emqpzxm-1424728285.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/548826295/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/0emQpZxM/following","followers":"/api/users/0emQpZxM/followers"},"about_me":"\"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time\" Abraham Lincoln / Bob Marley. Believer in the power of an informed populace using smart tools at the right time. @Countable founder.","twitter_id":"bartolah","facebook_id":"bartmyers","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":"","website":"","slug":"bart","issue_count":58,"is_following":null,"influence_score":76005,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1991,"following_count":945,"position_count":55,"id":"0emQpZxM","partner_id":null},{"name":"Joshua","vote_count":9,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10100453187635914/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10100453187635914/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10100453187635914/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10100453187635914/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/P9ozLDbm/following","followers":"/api/users/P9ozLDbm/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":32,"is_following":null,"influence_score":30,"influence_level":10,"follower_count":1,"following_count":12,"position_count":9,"id":"P9ozLDbm","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"2f32cf7c-e3a9-40e6-bb32-d1659da2e932","argument_for":"Prison should produce individuals less likely to go back to prison. The longer one spends in prison the less able they are to deal with the real world. Let's stop having the highest incarcerated population in THE WORLD","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":2,"upvotes_for_count":2,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":2,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/2f32cf7c-e3a9-40e6-bb32-d1659da2e932"},"body":"Prison should produce individuals less likely to go back to prison. The longer one spends in prison the less able they are to deal with the real world. Let's stop having the highest incarcerated population in THE WORLD","stance":"yea","created_at":"2016-10-02T22:16:11.818Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/2f32cf7c-e3a9-40e6-bb32-d1659da2e932.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr3713-114","user_id":"LWgDgoJZ","endorser_ids":["0emQpZxM","P9ozLDbm"]}}

Like Causes?

Brett

Should Non-Violent Federal Inmates Serve Shorter Sentences?