Should the Amended Crack Sentencing Guidelines Be Retroactive, Permitting Early Release?
The Commission’s Criteria for the Decision On November 13, the Commission held a day-long hearing in Washington, D.C., to consider the retroactivity question, after having received over 30,000 letters in support of retroactivity. According to a Commission analysis, nearly 20,000 federal drug offenders could become eligible for early release from prison by an average of 27 months if the amendment is made retroactive. This would be especially significant because, since the abolition of parole in the federal system in 1987, imprisoned offenders have few opportunities to reduce the length of their sentence.
