From the Sentencing Project

Last week, I participated in an historic event convened by the Congressional Black Caucus on the 25th Anniversary of the Sentencing Reform Act.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, before a standing-room-only audience of federal judges, public defenders, members of Congress and formerly incarcerated persons, eloquently and forcefully advised Congress to fix the broken system of federal mandatory minimum sentences.

Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the forum and called for reform of federal crack cocaine penalties "this year." He also detailed the priorities of a new Sentencing and Corrections Working Group charged with creating a system that:

* protects the public
* is fair to both victims and defendants
* eliminates unwarranted sentencing disparities
* reduces recidivism, and
* controls the federal prison population.


I don't have to tell you that these are principles The Sentencing Project has been advancing for more than two decades. We applaud the commitment of the Attorney General and the Obama Administration to enact these necessary reforms.

I want you to know that The Sentencing Project will be working to ensure that policymakers have the information and analysis they need about the impact of criminal justice policies, and understand that Americans are counting on them to fix the broken system of justice that has been damaging communities and families for far too long.

We can create criminal justice policies that are based on facts and evidence about what will improve public safety, and that will ensure fairness and justice for all.

You can help us continue to fight for a justice system that's worthy of each and every one of us. Please consider making a secure, online contribution to The Sentencing Project today.

Thank you for your support.

Marc Mauer
Executive Director

p.s. You can read my commentary to the Attorney General's proposals on the University of Pittsburgh School of Law's blog here.

Review of Drug Courts

Dear Friend,

The Sentencing Project is pleased to announce the publication of a new report, Drug Courts: A Review of the Evidence, that assesses the impact of the drug court movement.

Since their introduction in 1989, drug courts have received a significant amount of attention by practitioners, policymakers, and the general public. Originally conceived as an alternative to incarceration for persons convicted of low-level drug offenses, there are now more than 1,600 drug courts nationally, covering all 50 states. Many of these programs have broadened their eligibility requirements to grant more individuals access to treatment rather than incarceration. In the two decades since their launch, a substantial body of literature has been established evaluating drug court efficacy in regard to reducing recidivism and criminal justice costs.

To mark the 20-year anniversary of the modern drug court, The Sentencing Project surveyed a wide-range of research to outline general findings on the operation and efficacy of drug courts, and to highlight benefits and potential concerns. Overall, we find that:

* Drug courts have generally been demonstrated to have positive benefits in reducing recidivism.
* Evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of drug courts have generally found benefits through reduced costs of crime or incarceration.
* Concern remains regarding potential "net-widening" effects of drug courts by drawing in defendants who might not otherwise have been subject to arrest and prosecution.

We hope you find this report useful in your work.

-The Sentencing Project

To read the report go to their website