Pubdate: Sat, 05 Dec 2015
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2015 The New York Times Company
Contact: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/lettertoeditor.html
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Dick Durbin
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n667/a04.html

SENATOR DICK DURBIN, ON SENTENCING REFORM

To the Editor:

Re "Cut Sentences for Nonviolent Felons" (editorial, Nov. 23):

Like you, I wish that the sentencing reform legislation pending in 
Congress went further. But the reality is that more ambitious reform 
proposals do not have enough support to pass in this Congress.

That's why I negotiated the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act 
with Senator Chuck Grassley. Our bill has strong support from the 
civil rights community and passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 
strong bipartisan vote. Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, has 
pledged to bring it before the full Senate next year.

Our bill isn't perfect, but it would make thousands of low-level drug 
offenders eligible for reductions in their sentences every year. It 
would repeal some of the worst injustices in our sentencing regime, 
like the law that mandates life without parole for nonviolent drug 
offenders with "three strikes."

And many of these changes would apply retroactively, so current 
prisoners would be eligible for early release.

The choice is not between the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act 
or more sweeping reform; it is between this bill or no sentencing 
reform until at least 2017, when a new Congress and a new president 
take office.

DICK DURBIN

Chicago

The writer is assistant Senate Democratic leader. 
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