US Sentencing Commission slated this week to vote on new FSA crack guideline retroactivity

As indicated in this official public notice, this Thursday, June 30, a public meeting of the US Sentencing Commission is scheduled at which the USSC is expected to vote on whether and how to make the new reduced crack offense sentencing guidelines applicable retroactively to previously sentencing defendants.  The new guidelines reflect the 18-1 quantity ratio between crack and powder cocaine quantities that became the new federal sentencing standard after the Congress passed the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010.

As I have detailed in prior posts (some of which are linked below), a decision to make the crack guidelines retroactive would potentially impact the sentences of many thousands of federal prisoners, and this fact has made this issue a subject of considerable controversy.  The Sentencing Commission has posted here on its website a lot of interesting links to the input the USSC has received about this consequential issue.  (Enterprising researchers and students can learn a lot about the politics and practicalities of federal drug sentecing by reviewing these materials.)

Based on the (incomplete and non-insider) buzz that I have heard surrounding this issue, I predict that the Sentencing Commission will vote to make the new crack guidelines retroactive with a few (but not too many) limitations on which previously sentencing defendants can get the benefit of the new lower guidelines.

A few related posts on this particular retroactivity decision before the USSC are linked below, and readers interested in a broader understanding of the FSA should check out this February 2011 issue of the Federal Sentencing Reporteron the FSA and those interested in a broader discussion of the last round of crack retroactivity should check out this April 2008 FSR issue on crack retroactivity:

• USSC request comments on possible retroactivity of new crack and drug guidelines
• Revised data from USSC concerning potential impact of FSA guideline retroactivity
• Lots of news as AG Holder say to USSC lower FSA crack guidelines should be retroactive
• Lamar Smith's (deeply misguided) statement about crack retroactivity debate
• Informed criticisms of Justice Department's proposed limitation on crack retroactivity