Project for Opportunity and Safety

CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION

Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 (S. 2123)

• Full Text and Bill Overview
• Senate Judiciary Committee Section by Section Bill Overview
• Senate Judiciary Committee Bill Summary (October 2015)
• Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley (October, 2015)
• U.S. Sentencing Commission Analysis (October 2015)
• U.S. Justice Action Network: What They’re Saying: Senate Judiciary Committee Markup

Sentencing Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3713)

• Bill Overview and Full Text
• Statement of the Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission (November, 2015)

Recidivism Risk Reduction Act (H.R. 759)

• Bill Overview and Full Text

MYTH VS FACTS

• Four Myths That Are Being Used To Criticize Justice Reform, FreedomWorks (October 2015)
• Examining The Myths of Federal Sentencing Reform, The Texas Public Policy Foundation (March 2016)
• The Dangerous Myths of NAAUSA, Families Against Mandatory Minimums (July 2015)
• Criminal Justice Reform: The Facts About Federal Drug Offenders, Brookings Institute (February 2016)

POLLING

• Voters in Key Election States Overwhelmingly Agree: Criminal Justice System is Broken, Strongly Support Federal Reforms, U.S. Justice Action Network (January 2016)
• Voters Want Big Changes in Federal Sentencing, Prison System, Pew Charitable Trusts (February 2016)
• New FAMM Poll Reveals Unprecedented Support for Eliminating Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentences, FAMM (October 2015)
• ACLU Nationwide Poll on Criminal Justice Reform, ACLU (July 2015)

FEDERAL REPORTS  

• Transforming Prisons, Restoring Lives: Final Recommendations of the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections (January 2016)
• More Prison, Less Probation for Federal Offenders, Pew Charitable Trusts (January 2016)
• Prison Time Surges for Federal Inmates, Pew Charitable Trusts (November 2015)
• Federal Drug Sentencing Laws Bring High Cost, Low Return, Pew Charitable Trusts (August 2015)
• Recidivism Among Federal Offenders: A Comprehensive Overview, U.S. Sentencing Commission (March 2016)
• The Federal Prison Population Buildup: Overview, Policy Changes, Issues, and Options, Congressional Research Service (April 2014)

STATE REFORMS: REPORTS & ARTICLES

• Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Reform Saves States Money and Reduces Crime Rates, American Legislative Exchange Council (March 2016)
• Justice Reinvestment Initiative Brings Sentencing Reforms in 21 States, Pew Charitable Trusts (January 2016)
• State Criminal Justice Reforms Build the Case for Data-Driven Federal Legislation, Pew Charitable Trusts (July 2015)
• Congress Hears From States on Improvements to Public Safety, Pew Charitable Trusts (June 2015)
• A Shared Sentence: The Devastating Toll of Incarceration On Kids, Families and Communities, The Annie E. Casey Foundation (April 2016)
• Chambers Get Smart on Justice, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (Spring 2016)
• Public Safety in South Carolina, The Pew Charitable Trusts (August 2015)
• A Republican Governor Is Leading the Country’s Most Successful Prison Reform, New Republic (March 2015)
• What Texas Is Teaching the Country About Mass Incarceration, U.S. News & World Report (November 2014)
• 2011 Kentucky Reforms Cut Recidivism, Costs, Pew Charitable Trusts (July 2011)