The Sentencing Reform Act, part of the
Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984
The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 () was the first comprehensive revision of the U.S. criminal code since the early 1900s. It was sponsored by Strom Thurmond (R-SC) in the Senate and by Hamilton Fish IV (R-NY) in the House, and was ...
, was a U.S. federal statute intended to increase consistency in United States federal sentencing. It established the
United States Sentencing Commission
The United States Sentencing Commission is an independent agency of the judicial branch of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for articulating the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines for the federal courts. The Commission promulgat ...
.
It also abolished
federal parole,
except for persons convicted under federal law before 1 November 1987, persons convicted under District of Columbia law, "
transfer treaty" inmates, persons who violated military law who are in federal civilian prisons, and persons who are defendants in state cases and who are under the
U.S. Marshals Service Witness Protection Program
Witness protection is security provided to a threatened person providing testimonial evidence to the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during, and after trials, usually by police. While witnesses may only require p ...
.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LACK OF PAROLE FOR FEDERAL PRISONERS
Archive
. Families Against Mandatory Minimums
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) is an American nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1991 to challenge mandatory sentencing laws and advocate for criminal justice reform. FAMM promotes sentencing policies that give judges the di ...
. p. 2/4. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
The act was passed by large majorities in both houses of Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
.
See also
* Criminal sentencing in the United States
* Imprisonment
Imprisonment or incarceration is the restraint of a person's liberty for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is considered " false imprisonment". Impri ...
References
{{Presidency of Ronald Reagan
United States federal criminal legislation
Penal system in the United States
United States sentencing law
1984 in American law
1984 in the United States