“Justice Action Network and Justice Action Network Foundation have led national bipartisan criminal justice reform efforts all over the country for nearly a decade. Our success is built on our commitment to work with anyone and everyone interested in effectuating meaningful and long-lasting change that makes our justice system fairer and improves public safety," said Lauren Krisai, “I’m honored to lead JAN and JANF as we move into our next chapter.” 

Washington, DC – The United States Sentencing Commission voted unanimously in favor of adopting a wide range of policy updates Thursday afternoon, including a measure that will further prohibit the consideration of acquitted conduct at sentencing unless that consideration is significantly relevant for the purpose of reducing a sentence. The move comes after the Justice Action Network (JAN) urged the commission to restrict the consideration of acquitted conduct, conduct for which an individual was never convicted, in sentencing for other offenses. JAN Federal Affairs Director JC Hendrickson released the following shortly after the vote:

Today, we write to urge the Commission to go a step further and fully prohibit the consideration of acquitted conduct, except when it may be so compelling as to contribute to the reduction of a sentence.

In addition, we urge the Commission to prioritize research in two areas.

The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to send the Federal Prison Oversight Act to President Biden’s desk on Wednesday evening. The move follows overwhelming passage in the House in May, and comes amid months of investigations that have revealed shocking human rights abuses in federal prison facilities across the nation. 

Federal Criminal Justice Reform: Options for Policymakers 2025-2029 includes policy options for addressing inefficiencies throughout the criminal justice system – from crime prevention to reentry after a period of incarceration – through the lens of bipartisan cooperation, focusing on policies that have already attained strong support from both elected officials and citizens on both sides of the political aisle.

With more than 30 bipartisan co-sponsors, the bill, which passed 392-2 Tuesday evening, would establish an ombudsman within the DOJ who would be tasked with handling complaints from incarcerated individuals, corrections staff and others, as well as provide for risk-based assessments of federal prison facilities. The House action marks the first major bipartisan floor action on broad bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation this Congress. The bill cleared the House Oversight Committee by a vote of 41-1 last month.

The President announced eleven pardons and five sentence commutations on Wednesday, all granted to individuals who were convicted of non-violent drug felonies which have been a primary focus for the Biden administration.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission finalized rules that drew broad bipartisan support from criminal justice advocates Wednesday.

Among the 2024 changes to federal sentencing guidelines are rules that 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.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the use of solitary confinement in federal facilities Tuesday morning, including an extensive look at the roughly eight percent of individuals in restrictive housing under the Bureau of Prisons on any given day this year. 

The Bureau of Prisons uses solitary or restrictive housing arrangements for incarcerated people for reasons that include inmate and staff safety and for disciplinary reasons. However, even relatively short stays in solitary confinement can exacerbate mental health problems, increase behavioral health crises, and lead to unintended consequences for both staff and incarcerated people, including increased risk of abuse and neglect.  

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a markup of H.R. 3019, the Federal Prison Oversight Act, on Wednesday. With 30 bipartisan co-sponsors, the bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, would establish an ombudsman within the DOJ who would be tasked handling complaints from incarcerated individuals, corrections staff and others, as well as provide for risk-based assessments of federal prison facilities.

The hearing follows a February report that showed the majority of non-medical deaths in federal prisons were preventable, and amid frequent news reports of on-going abuses in prisons across the country.

A Friday decision from the Supreme Court that split justices by how they interpret the word “and” is garnering renewed interest in federal sentencing and incarceration rates. In Pulsifer v. U.S., Mark E. Pulsifer, who was sentenced for two non-violent drug charges related to selling methamphetamine, argued that he was eligible for relief under former President Trump’s First Step Act because he did not meet all three exclusionary criteria in a list set out in the legislation.

The proposed amendments are under consideration as more than 150,000 people are currently serving sentences in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, an agency that is chronically understaffed and struggling to manage the safety of staff and incarcerated people. It is imperative that the Commission consider amendments to the Guidelines that consider this backdrop…