In Chicago, hundreds of prisoners are using a law that President Trump backed. In 2018, the President signed a bill entitled “The First Step Act (FSA). Under the provisions of the measure, prisoners convicted of federal crimes are getting their sentences shortened.
Judges in Chicago have approved more than 60 percent of the early release requests they have ruled on.
They so far have granted sentence reductions in 75 of the 200 cases. Forty-five requests were denied. The rest are awaiting a ruling, the Chicago Suntimes reports.
A partial general overview of the act says it is an effort to improve criminal justice outcomes, as well as to reduce the size of the federal prison population while also creating mechanisms to maintain public safety and provide help for inmates and their families. A couple of matters explained in the overview include:
Changes to Mandatory Minimums for Certain Drug Offenders
The FSA makes changes to the penalties for some federal offenses. The FSA
modifies mandatory minimum sentences for some drug traffickers with prior drug
convictions by increasing the threshold for prior convictions that count toward
triggering higher mandatory minimums for repeat offenders, reducing the 20-year
mandatory minimum (applicable where the offender has one prior qualifying
conviction) to a 15-year mandatory minimum, and reducing a life-in-prison
mandatory minimum (applicable where the offender has two or more prior
qualifying convictions) to a 25-year mandatory minimum.
Retroactivity of the Fair Sentencing Act
The FSA made the provisions of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-220)
retroactive so that currently incarcerated offenders who received longer
sentences for possession of crack cocaine than they would have received if
sentenced for possession of the same amount of powder cocaine before the
enactment of the Fair Sentencing Act can submit a petition in federal court to
have their sentences reduced.
Expanding the Safety Valve
The FSA also expands the safety valve provision, which allows courts to sentence low-level, nonviolent drug offenders with minor criminal histories to less than the required mandatory minimum for an offense.
In contrast, the Joe Biden/Backed Crime Bill served to dramatically increase prison sentences for minorities—particularly Black Americans.
