USSC official statement of priorities

The US Sentencing Commission has now officially “identified its policy priorities for the upcoming amendment cycle.”  These priorities can be accessed at this link, and here are a few highlights:   

[T]he Commission has identified the following priorities:…

(2) Continuation of its work with Congress and other interested parties on cocaine sentencing policy to implement the recommendations set forth in the Commission’s 2002 and 2007 reports to Congress, both entitled Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy, and to develop appropriate guideline amendments in response to any related legislation;

(3) Continuation of its work with the congressional, executive, and judicial branches of the government and other interested parties on appropriate responses to United States v. Booker and United States v. Rita, including any appropriate amendments to the guidelines or other changes to the Guidelines Manual with respect to those decisions and other cases that may be adjudicated during this amendment cycle, as well as continuation of its monitoring and analysis of post-Booker federal sentencing practices, data, case law, and other feedback, including reasons for departures and variances stated by sentencing courts;…

(9) Preparation and dissemination, pursuant to the Commission’s authority under 28 U.S.C. § 995(a)(12)-(16), of research reports on various aspects of federal sentencing policy and practice, such as updating the Commission’s 1991 report to Congress entitled Mandatory Minimum Penalties in the Federal Criminal Justice System and studying alternatives to incarceration, including information on and possible development of any guideline amendments that might be appropriate in response to any research reports.