{"id":849,"date":"2011-06-02T14:54:33","date_gmt":"2011-06-02T18:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www3.law.harvard.edu\/journals\/hlpr\/?p=849"},"modified":"2015-10-02T15:57:05","modified_gmt":"2015-10-02T15:57:05","slug":"retroactive-implementation-of-the-fsa-its-only-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journals.law.harvard.edu\/lpr\/2011\/06\/02\/retroactive-implementation-of-the-fsa-its-only-fair\/","title":{"rendered":"Retroactive Implementation of the FSA: It\u2019s Only Fair"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"color: #505050\"><em>Jay Willis<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #505050\">During testimony before the U.S. Sentencing Commission on Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder\u00a0<a style=\"font-style: inherit;color: #3f6dcf\" href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20110629042932\/http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/us-attorney-general-some-inmates-should-get-benefit-of-new-law-shortening-crack-sentences\/2011\/06\/01\/AGxmOFGH_story.html\">advocated<\/a>\u00a0for a partially retroactive application of the\u00a0<a style=\"font-style: inherit;color: #3f6dcf\" href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20110629042932\/http:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/blog\/2010\/08\/03\/president-obama-signs-fair-sentencing-act\">Fair Sentencing Act of 2010<\/a>. The Act\u00a0mitigated much of the disparity in recommended sentence lengths between powder cocaine and crack cocaine crimes, which had drawn heavy criticism due to its grossly disproportionate effect on African-Americans. \u00a0 Holder\u2019s proposal would allow for the possibility of early release for currently incarcerated crack cocaine offenders that have neither weapons convictions nor lengthy criminal histories.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #505050\"><span id=\"more-5363\" style=\"font-style: inherit\"><\/span>Holder\u2019s suggestion quickly drew\u00a0<a style=\"font-style: inherit;color: #3f6dcf\" href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20110629042932\/http:\/\/www.mainjustice.com\/2011\/06\/01\/reaction-by-house-judiciary-chairman-lamar-smith-d-texas-on-sentencing-plan\/\">sharp criticism<\/a>\u00a0from Congressman and House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith of Texas, who opined that the Obama Administration has taken a position \u201csupporting the release of dangerous drug offenders.\u201d\u00a0 Smith called the retroactive application of the Fair Sentencing Act tantamount to sending \u201ca dangerous message to criminals and would-be drug offenders that Congress doesn\u2019t take drug crimes seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #505050\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #505050\">However, this assessment seems unfair.\u00a0 Assuming that the FSA tacitly acknowledges mistakes in federal drug sentencing policy, why punish the victims of these mistakes through the continued enforcement of admittedly anachronistic guidelines? \u00a0A recent\u00a0Sentencing Commission\u00a0<a style=\"font-style: inherit;color: #3f6dcf\" href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20110629042932\/http:\/\/www.ussc.gov\/Research\/Research_Projects\/Miscellaneous\/20110527_Recidivism_2007_Crack_Cocaine_Amendment.pdf\">study<\/a>\u00a0found no significant difference between the recidivism rates of crack offenders that served full sentences and those that gained a slightly earlier release under a analogous 2007 law that also mitigated crack cocaine sentences.\u00a0 If there is no evidence that crack offenders released early are any\u00a0more dangerous than those that serve pre-FSA entire sentences, allowing currently incarcerated individuals the chance at FSA-consistent sentences seems entirely within the spirit and intent of the law\u2019s reforms.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #505050\">In addition, both Holder\u2019s proposal and the FSA itself contain important caveats that further undermine Congressman Smith\u2019s objections to retroactive application of the FSA. \u00a0First, while the FSA significantly reduced the aforementioned sentencing disparities, it declined to eliminate them entirely, a nod to the contention that crack cocaine is somewhat more addictive and therefore more harmful to society than powder cocaine. \u00a0Even if the Sentencing Commission accepts Holder\u2019s argument, U.S. law will remain very tough on crack cocaine crimes.\u00a0 Second, Holder is not releasing inmates indiscriminately. \u00a0Instead, his sensible exceptions for violent and\/or repeat offenders ensure that only non-dangerous offenders, whose sentences were the very target of the FSA, have a shot at a reduced sentence; offenders that have already proved themselves to be dangerous would remain in custody and off the streets.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #505050\">It is politically difficult for any public official to advocate for policies that their critics can cast as \u201csoft on drugs.\u201d \u00a0Attorney General Holder and the Obama Administration should be commended for their reasonable and principled proposal that will allow a fairer outcome to those sentenced under the misguided drug policies of yesterday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jay Willis During testimony before the U.S. Sentencing Commission on Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder\u00a0advocated\u00a0for a partially retroactive application of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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