The United States Sentencing Commission held the first of two days of testimony on updated sentencing guidelines Wednesday. The hearings come after an open public comment period for the guidelines ended last month. Among other changes, the proposal would alter how sentences for offenses committed prior to the age of eighteen are considered in the calculation of a defendant’s criminal history score, and eliminate the consideration of offenses for which a person of any age has been acquitted during subsequent interactions with the justice system.

Justice Action Network released the following statement in response to a Thursday report by the Department of Justice that revealed most non-medical deaths in custody could have been prevented:

“The report released today by the Department of Justice is an urgent call to action. No family should ever have to receive a call that a loved one has died while incarcerated simply because a facility was understaffed, under-resourced or out of compliance with BOP policy,” said Inimai Chettiar, Deputy Director for the Justice Action Network “There is strong bipartisan support for comprehensive oversight of our nation’s prisons, and it is long past time for congress to enact the kind of transparency and accountability that will prevent deaths like these in the future.

“We applaud Governor Stitt for acknowledging that creating safe communities requires a dual approach of advancing public safety policies and facilitating individuals’ progression out of incarceration cycles,” said Lauren Krisai, Deputy Director at JAN. “We appreciate the Governor's ongoing commitment to modernizing all aspects of the justice system, and mentioning the need for a modernized approach to fines and fees as well as more transparency and accountability around civil asset forfeiture.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed House Bill 689, a bill allowing the sealing of low-level, nonviolent felonies, sponsored by Representatives Jordan Harris (D-Phila.) and Sheryl Delozier (R-Cumberland), and led by Senators Lisa Baker and Anthony Williams in the Senate. The effort builds on Pennsylvania’s 2018 framework to expand automated expungements to more Pennsylvanians who have proven they can remain crime free. After a 47-3 vote in the Senate and 153-50 concurrence vote in the House, the bill now heads to Governor Shapiro’s desk for his signature.

Hosted by local business owner Steve Conway of Pyramid Construction Services, the press conference included comments by representatives of the nation’s largest bipartisan criminal justice and public safety advocacy organization, Justice Action Network; Americans for Prosperity-Pennsylvania; Associated Builders & Contractors Keystone Chapter; and Community Legal Services; along with those who have been impacted by Pennsylvania’s record sealing policies.

Introduced in September by the bipartisan duo of Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) and Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), the Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act of 2023 redefines "acquitted conduct" to include acts for which a person was criminally charged and adjudicated not guilty after trial in a Federal, State, Tribal, or Juvenile court, or acts underlying a criminal charge or juvenile information dismissed upon a motion for acquittal, and precludes a court from considering those acts in sentencing unless it’s for the intention of mitigating the sentence. 

“Republican voters deserve to know where their presidential candidates stand on public safety, and Wednesday night’s debate gave them a preview of what’s to come throughout the election cycle. Every violent crime in America is a tragedy, and substance abuse and mental health issues are important issues that need to be taken seriously.

Representatives Glenn Ivey (D-MD) and Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) joined Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and John Cornyn (R-TX) to introduce the Kenneth P. Thompson Begin Again Act, a bipartisan bill that would remove the age requirement for those seeking an expungement order for a first-time federal drug possession offense.

“No one wants to see Republicans be successful in 2024 more than I do,” said former Congressman Doug Collins, author of the First Step Act. “Voters have made it clear: Americans want stronger economies and safer communities, and the First Step Act has been delivering on both those priorities.

Reform provisions—some of which are years in the making—were included in the conference report for SF2909 passed by both chambers and represent a significant step towards creating a fairer and more equitable justice system for all Minnesotans while significantly expanding opportunities for a true second chance.

Sponsored by Representative Tara Simmons (D-Bremerton) and championed by a broad coalition of community organizations, the bill acknowledges that financial obligations disproportionately burden low-income individuals and contribute to a cycle of poverty and recidivism that is detrimental to those individuals and to the safety of Washington communities.

A bipartisan effort to expand Pennsylvania’s 2018 Clean Slate law gathered further momentum today with unanimous passage out of the house judiciary committee.

The vote comes after a coalition of criminal justice advocates, national policy experts, and state lawmakers held a press conference in the state capitol last week.

Sponsored by Representative Brian Hill (R-Mustang), HB 2490 allows Oklahomans who have served five years of their suspended sentence or suspended portion of their split sentences in their communities to petition a judge for a sentence modification if they have completed the terms and conditions of their probation—including maintaining or actively seeking employment and completing rehabilitative programming—and they have no pending violations or revocation hearings.

As a divided Pennsylvania legislature considers additional criminal justice reforms this session, the Justice Action Network released a poll showing that Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support expanding the state’s 2018 Clean Slate law and believe the justice system needs improvement.

The event, which is taking place during Second Chance Month, will address both the economic and public safety implications of Minnesota’s current probation, parole, expungement, and other re-entry policies, including best practices and evidence-based recommendations, some of which are currently under consideration by the legislature.

Today, Senate Bill 1290 passed the Arizona House by a margin of 57-0, representing a major step forward for reducing barriers to employment for those exiting prisons and making it easier for employers to hire qualified workers in the state of Arizona.

A newly-released poll shows that Louisiana voters—including majorities from all party affiliations as well as voters from victim and law enforcement households—support criminal justice solutions that reduce recidivism and emphasize treatment and diversion over more punitive responses like longer sentences.