News - Sentencing

Drug Terms Reduced, Freeing Prisoners - Sentencing
By John Schwartz - Email at NY Times Website - November 1st, 2011

Over time, some 12,000 inmates could have their sentences, which average 13 years, shortened by an average of three years.

Lifelong Death Sentences - Sentencing
By Adam Liptak - Email at NY Times Website - October 31st, 2011

It is a very strange argument to say that a murderer can delay justice with protracted appeals for decades and then turn around and claim his own delay as a reason to escape his deserved punishment altogether,” said Kent Scheidegger, the legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation.

Court Reform for Teenage Offenders - Sentencing
By New York Times Staff - Email from nytimes.com website - October 11th, 2011

Processing teenage offenders in family court may initially cost more if the state provides the services these children need. But it could mean long-term savings by cutting recidivism and prison costs.

Truth finally sets Texas inmate free - Sentencing
By Patricia Kilday Hart - Email patti.hart@chron.com - October 9th, 2011

Though it would cost him several more years in prison, no one, he decided, would make him tell a lie. He'd rot in prison rather than surrender that last fragile connection to his dignity.

Some GOP politicians push to ease Fla. drug laws - Sentencing
By Associated Press - Email from Canadian Business website - October 9th, 2011

"These folks never want to look weak on crime, and it's really not weak on crime," said Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, a Fort Lauderdale Republican who earlier this year sponsored unsuccessful legislation to abolish minimum mandatory sentences.

Former death row inmate freed from US prison - Sentencing
By Travis Loller - Email at Taiwan News website - October 7th, 2011

A U.S. woman who spent 26 years on death row and came within two months of being executed was freed Friday from prison.

A Prison Overreacts to a Book - Sentencing
By Washington Post staff - Email from washingtonpost.com website - October 2nd, 2011

If “Slavery by Another Name” is off-limits, is there anything prison officials could not bar?

Death row chef offers to cook free meals for the condemned - Sentencing
By Lateef Mungin - Email at CNN website - October 2, 2011

A former death row chef says he will pay for and cook every last meal for condemned inmates himself, after Texas announced it was stopping the tradition.

Editorial: Prison reform overdue - Sentencing
By Daily Press - Email from DailyPress Website - Sept 26th, 2011

Our penal system is both morally and fiscally broken.

Many unknowns as early inmate release approaches - Sentencing
By Tracy Manzer - Email from website - September 24th, 2011

The release of thousands of state prisoners to local counties is less than a week away, yet major aspects of the plan remain unknown to local authorities, triggering growing alarm and uncertainty.

Alabama court's church or jail sentencing options draws ACLU ire, national attention - Sentencing
By Connie Baggett - Email from Website - September 24th, 2011

A new alternative sentencing program offering first-time, nonviolent offenders a choice of a year of church attendance or jail time and fines is drawing fire from the American Civil Liberties Union as well as national attention, officials said Friday.

Mass. lawmakers to consider sentencing overhaul - Sentencing
By Associated Press - Email from website - September 18th, 2011

A Massachusetts legislative committee is set to consider a proposal eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing for certain non-violent drug offenses.

Growing farm program at Leavenworth prison feeds many - Sentencing
By Staff - Email from Associated Press Website - August 28th, 2011

A horticulture program at Leavenworth Federal Prison has grown from a modest garden to a 17-acre organic food factory that's feeding struggling folks across eastern Kansas and beyond.

The Power of Family - Sentencing
By Alice Ollstein - Email at Corrections.com website - August 1st, 2011

McSwain says that when men are incarcerated, their partners make sure to bring their children to visit them — but men do not make a similar effort when women are sent to prison.

Stop Feeding PA.'s Gluttonous Prisons - Sentencing
By Staff - Email at Pocono Record Website - August 1st, 2011

The lock-'em-up-and-throw-away-the-key mentality has created a monster.

Marion Correctional inmates initiate recycling center - Sentencing
By James Miller - jsmiller@marionstar.com - July 25th, 2011

The prison is paying about $45 per ton for pick-up and land filling of trash, so the diversion of about a third of the trash stream into recycling is saving the prison more than $1,000 a month.

Fiscal and prison overcrowding crises could lead to Three-Strikes reform - Sentencing
By Paul T. Rosynsky - Email from website - July 24th, 2011

From almost the day California's Three Strikes sentencing law was approved by voters in 1994, opponents have tried and failed to repeal or amend the politically popular measure.

Inmates benefit from garden project - Sentencing
By Colleen Kottke - Email ckottke@fdlreporter.com - July 23, 2011

Former TCI warden and Administrator of Adult Institutions Cathy Jess said the outside physical activity and educational experience for the team of inmates working in the gardens is invaluable.

Calif. Faces Tough Choices on Overcrowded Prisons - Sentencing
By Spencer Michels - Email at pbs.org - July 15th, 2011

The court ordered an additional 10,000 fewer inmates statewide by November and a reduction of 33,000 within two years to remedy a situation of which the inmates are well aware.

Unequal crack cocaine penalties cleaned up as cost balances anti-crime pressure - Sentencing
By Reginald Fields - Email from webiste - July 3, 2011

Gov. John Kasich last week signed House Bill 86, a multifaceted sentencing-reform law that among other things will even out the penalties for crack and powder cocaine.

Supreme Court rules judges can't extend prison terms for rehab purposes - Sentencing
By David G. Savage - Email at Bellingham Herald website - June 16, 2011

More than 80,000 convicted criminals are sentenced by federal judges each year, and until Thursday, the courts were split over whether defendants could be given more time behind bars for their own good.

Folsom Prison Blues? Not on Saturday Thanks to NoHo Nonprofit - Sentencing
By Craig Clough - Email at website - June 12, 2011

The Center for Restorative Justice brings children to visit their incarcerated fathers.

Louisiana legislation aims to reduce incarceration rate - Sentencing
By Jan Moller - Email from nola.com website - June 06, 2011

Louisiana is among at least a half-dozen states that are taking a fresh look at their sentencing laws as state budgets are strained by decades of tough-on-crime legislation that led to record numbers of people behind bars. Nowhere in the world is the rate as high as in Louisiana, where 1 in 55 residents is locked up.

Marion Court Offering to Clear Outstanding Warrants - Sentencing
By Jessica Cuffman - Email jcuffman@marionstar.com - April 22, 2011

The Ohio Benefit Bank counselors also will be there, who help people apply for and gain access to programs such as Food Assistance, the Home Energy Assistance Program, childcare subsidies and others.

Educate or Incarcerate? NAACP pushes states to shift priorities. - Sentencing
By Steicher Khadaroo - email from CS Monitor website - April 7, 2011

While education spending declined during the recession, most states increased prison spending, according to a new report from the NAACP.

Legislation to restore fairness to sentencing laws admirable - Sentencing
By Greg Newburn - Email from site - March 22, 2011

Legislation recently filed in Tallahassee would eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing for drug trafficking, and save Florida taxpayers millions of dollars.

Ark. Governor signs prison sentencing overhaul bill - Sentencing
The Associated Press - email from website - March 22, 2011

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Gov. Mike Beebe has signed into law an overhaul of Arkansas' sentencing and probation laws aimed at curbing the state's prison costs.

Proposals Could Make It Harder to Leave Prison - Sentencing
The Brandi Grissom - email bgrissom@texastribune.org - March 12, 2011

Texas legislators, are considering proposals that would cut as much as $162 million from rehabilitation and treatment programs meant to help criminals avoid going back to prison.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's budget tightens early prison release - Sentencing
By Paul Srubas - psrubas@greenbaypressgazette.com - March 5, 2011

Walker's plan eliminates other early release programs that Doyle put in place in 2009.

Lawmakers propose bills that are smart on crime - Sentencing
Editorial - Email from Sun-Sentinel website - March 14, 2011

Easing Florida's reliance on mandatory minimum drug sentences will go a long way toward reclaiming lives and saving money.

Supreme Court decision on sentencing guidelines gives judges more leeway - Sentencing
By Robert Barnes - barnesr@washpost.com - March 13, 2011

This month, Pepper won his case in a victory that gives federal judges more leeway to provide second chances to the criminals who come before them.

RI lawmakers consider decriminalizing marijuana - Sentencing
Boston.com - Email From Website - March 12, 2011

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Rhode Island may soon decriminalize possession of marijuana under legislation pending in the General Assembly.

Time to look at alternatives to incarceration - Sentencing
Editorial - Email at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution website - February 25,2011

The fact is, there are a lot of people in prison who are a greater threat to themselves than to society.

Oklahoma program offers women a second chance - Sentencing
By Vallery Brown - Email at NewsOK website -February 27, 2011

A program in Oklahoma City is helping women stay out of prison by teaching them behavioral skills and ways to address their trauma.

After 30 Years in Prison, Texas Man Freed on DNA Evidence - Sentencing
By AFRO Staff - No Email - January 8, 2011

Released based on DNA findings, he spent more time in jail than any other Texas inmate exonerated after a reexamination of his case. “It’s a joy to be free again,” Cornelius Dupree, 51, told reporters after his conviction was overturned.

Ex-Lobbyist Sentenced to Prison in Corruption Case - Sentencing
By CHARLIE SAVAGE - Email from web site - January 7, 2011

“He concocted a massive scheme to secretly funnel money to political campaigns — all so that he could gain wealth and prestige. As today’s sentence makes clear, he must now pay a price.”

Prison sentences: How long is too long? - Sentencing
By Carol A. Brook - Email from web site - January 2, 2010

Critics say federal mandatory minimum federal sentencing laws are harsh and inflexible. The laws can trump a judge's ability to use discretion in meting out lengthy prison terms.

Obama pardons his first convicts - Sentencing
By Seattle Times staff - No Email - December 3, 2010

Granting the first pardons of his presidency, President Barack Obama on Friday gave clemency to nine people — most of whom were small-time criminals convicted at least a decade ago and who never served time behind bars in the first place.

Increasing number of jailed women fuels prison overcrowding, societal problems - Sentencing
By BEN WOLFGANG - bwolfgang@republicanherald.com - November 28, 2010

Stiffer penalties for drug crimes have largely led to the spike in female incarceration, according to the prison society. The rise correlates directly with the national War on Drugs, which began in earnest in the 1980s.

President Obama backing off strict crime policy - Sentencing
By JOSH GERSTEIN - No Email - September 11, 2010

Last month, when Obama signed long-debated legislation to reduce the disparity between prison sentences for crack and powdered cocaine, some advocates hailed it as a watershed moment in the nation’s approach to criminal justice. And even with a tough election looming, the Democratic Congress is signaling it might consider moving away from strict incarceration as the preferred option and toward rehabilitation and out-of-prison punishments – developments that might have been attacked in the 1990s as the coddling of criminals.

Florida drug sentences too harsh? - Sentencing
By Cindy Swirko - swirkoc@gvillesun.com - August 14, 2010

When 19-year-old Hope Sykes was sentenced in April to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking, she looked stunned. Then she cried. The Satsuma teenager had pleaded no contest to selling 25 hydrocodone pills to an undercover officer. Her co-defendants - including her cousin Ronald Cummings, the father of missing Putnam County girl Haleigh Cummings - also face terms of at least 15 years under Florida's mandatory minimum drug sentences. Among the toughest mandatory minimum laws in the nation, Florida mandates strict prison terms - with no time off for good behavior - for convictions of drug dealing, use of a gun during a crime and sex crimes involving children.

Drug sentencing reform doesn’t go far enough - Sentencing
By Brian Gilmore - pmproj@progressive.org - August 10, 2010

The Fair Sentencing Act, which President Obama signed on Aug. 3, attempts to fix the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses. Since most crack users are black and most powder cocaine users are white, the sentencing disparity has had huge racially discriminatory consequences, as it has filled our prisons with young black males. But the new law is also not retroactive. Individuals locked down for long stretches under the old law will have to serve their sentences. Even worse, those with charges that were pending before Obama signed the new law will be sentenced under the old guidelines. And in passing the Fair Sentencing Act, Congress missed an opportunity to do away with mandatory minimum drug sentences altogether.

Dakota County drug court gives addicts a new start - Sentencing
By Joy Powell - jpowell@startribune.com - August 7, 2010

August Carlson sat on a bench at the Dakota County Government Center, waiting for his bimonthly appearance before a drug court team trying to help him stay sober -- and out of prison. Instead of dreading his appearance, Carlson said he was grateful for this unusual type of court, where he checks in with a judge, public defender, probation officer and prosecutor. "A hundred and fifteen days clean, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without drug court," said Carlson, 37, of St. Paul, who started using drugs at age 12 and went on to property crimes to support his habit.

FAMM Hails Massachusetts Governor for Signing Sentencing Reform Law - Sentencing
By Kristina Davis - kristina.davis@uniontrib.com - July 31, 2010

Today Governor Deval Patrick signed into law limited but promising reform of the state's harsh mandatory minimum sentencing laws for drug offenses. Drug offenders who are serving mandatory minimum sentences at county Houses of Correction will be eligible for parole after they serve one-half of their sentences -- the same as other county prisoners who are eligible for parole -- unless one of three "aggravating factors" apply. The new law applies to those who are currently incarcerated, as well as to those sentenced in the future.

Do Drug Courts Work? - Sentencing
By Jessica Huseman - webmaster@ncpa.org - August 5, 2010

Drug courts are judicially supervised programs that provide long-term treatment and other services to nonviolent drug law offenders. Cases can be referred to drug courts in lieu of or in addition to traditional criminal punishment, such as incarceration or probation. For a period lasting a minimum of one year, offenders receive treatment and help readjusting to life outside of prison and without drug use. Participants are randomly drug tested and regularly appear before a judge to review their progress. They can be sanctioned or rewarded based on such behavioral criteria as attending meetings, staying drug free and working. .

President Obama signs bill reducing gap in cocaine sentences - Sentencing
By Kenneth R. Bazinet - kbazinet@nydailynews.com - August 4, 2010

President Obama on Tuesday signed a law to narrow the gap in how mandatory sentences are handed out for crack versus powdered cocaine. Previously, a person convicted of possessing 5 grams of crack cocaine faced a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in jail, the same punishment given for conviction with 500 grams of powder cocaine.