Another week with lots of federal sentence reductions from judges using § 3582(c)(1)(A) ... dare I wonder about the racial breakdown?

I flagged in this Friday post five grants of sentence reductions under § 3582(c)(1)(A) on same day Bernie Madoff was denied a reduction, and this past week was filled with many, many more judicial grants of sentence reductions using § 3582(c)(1)(A).  Readers may recall, this post from mid May with more than two dozen grants in one week showing up on Westalw, and the first week on June shows comparable activity (though I have included below a few from late May that have only recently appeared on Westlaw):

United States v. Regas, No. 3:91-cr-00057-MMD-NA-1, 2020 WL 2926457 (D Nev. June 3, 2020)

United States v. Gray, No. RDB-16-0364, 2020 WL 2932838 (D Md. June 3, 2020)

United States v. Rich, No. 17-cr-094-LM, 2020 WL 2949365 (D N.H. June 3, 2020)

United States v. McClellan, No. 1:92 CR 268, 2020 WL 2933588 (ND Oh. June 3, 2020)

United States v. Hodges, No. 04 CR 993-3, 2020 WL 2935101 (ND Ill. June 3, 2020)

 

United States v. Millage, No. 3:13-cr-234-SI, 2020 WL 2857165 (D Ore. June 2, 2020)

United States v. Hilow, No. 15-cr-170-JD, 2020 WL 2851086 (D N.H. June 2, 2020)

United States v. O'Neil, No. 3:11-CR-00017, 2020 WL 2892236 (SD Iowa June 2, 2020)

United States v. Williams-Bethea, No. 18-cr-78 (AJN), 2020 WL 2848098 (SDNY June 2, 2020)

United States v. Chapman, No. 09-CR-0741, 2020 WL 2850984 (ND Ill. June 2, 2020)

 

United States v. Prasad, No. 19-71, 2020 WL 2850147 (ED La. June 2, 2020)

Snell v. United States, No. 16-20222-6, 2020 WL 2850038 (ED Mich. June 2, 2020)

United States v. Kelley, No. 16-cr-00038-SI-1, 2020 WL 2850280 (ND Cal. June 2, 2020)

United States v. Anderson, No. 16-CR-824-1 (JMF), 2020 WL 2849483 (SDNY June 2, 2020)

United States v. Ozols, No. 16-CR-692-7 (JMF), 2020 WL 2849893 (SDNY June 2, 2020)

 

United States v. Torres, No. 87-Cr-593 (SHS), 2020 WL 2815003 (SDNY June 2, 2020) (two defendants both with LWOP sentences reduced)

United States v. Dickerson, No. 1:10CR17 HEA, 2020 WL 2841523 (ED Mo. June 1, 2020)

United States v. Smith, No. CR07-3038-LTS, 2020 WL 2844222 (SD Iowa June 1, 2020)

United States v. Kamaka, No. 18-00085 SOM, 2020 WL 2820139 (D Hawaii June 1, 2020)

 

United States v. Van Cleave, No. CR03-247-RSL, 2020 WL 2800769 (WD Wash. May 29, 2020)

United States v. Castillo, No. H-08-146-01, 2020 WL 2820401 (SD Tex. May 29, 2020)

United States v. Baclaan, No. 16-00468 HG-01, 2020 WL 2820199 (D Hawaii May 29, 2020)

United States v. Pena, No. 16-10236-MLW, 2020 WL 2798259 (D Mass. May 29, 2020)

United States v. Bass, No. 1:10-CR-166 (LEK), 2020 WL 2831851 (NDNY May 27, 2020)

As I have mentioned before, late week rulings often do not appear on Westlaw right away, so there likely are additional early June grants that will appear on Westlaw later this week.  And, of course, these Westlaw listings do not represent all sentence reductions being granted by federal courts these days; data in the Marshall Project article flagged here leads me to think Westlaw picks up at most half of all federal sentence reduction grants.

As the title of post suggests, after a week of righteous protests and discussions focused on the importance of racial equity and justice, I could not help but wonder as I assembled this list whether people of color are equally benefiting from judicial authority to reduced sentences using § 3582(c)(1)(A) after the FIRST STEP Act.  According to the most recent US Sentencing Commission data, roughly 34% of federal prisoners are Black, 34% are Latinx, 28% are White, and 4% are "other" races.  For various reasons, I suspect that the population of older federal prisoners, who seem to be those most likely to benefit from COVID-influenced reduction grants, is more Whte than the general population.  Still, because it seems likely that a sizable number of non-White federal prisoners are making viable motions for sentence reductions, I cannot help but wonder if a sizable number of non-White federal prisoners are being granted  reduced sentences using § 3582(c)(1)(A).   

Prior recent related posts since lockdowns:

• Notable recent (pre-COVID) grants of sentence reductions from coast to coast using 3582(c)(1)(A) ... as FAMM urges thousand more filings in response to coronavirus
• Documenting early federal court COVID jurisprudence in response to various release requests from federal defendants and inmates 
• A few (too few) recent COVID-influenced grants of sentence reductions using 3582(c)(1)(A)
• Pleased to see growing number of COVID-influenced grants of sentence reductions using 3582(c)(1)(A)
• A few more COVID-influenced grants of sentence reductions using 3582(c)(1)(A)
• Still more COVID-influenced grants of sentence reductions using 3582(c)(1)(A), with waivers of exhaustion/waiting period 
• Additional COVID-influenced grants of federal sentence reductions using 3582(c)(1)(A) 
• Another round of recent COVID-influenced grants of federal sentence reductions using 3582(c)(1)(A)
• A dozen new grants of federal sentence reductions using § 3582(c)(1)(A), including another based on stacking/disparity/trial penalty concerns
• Still more of the ever-growing number of COVID-influenced federal sentence reductions using 3582(c)(1)(A)
• Another robust week for COVID-influenced federal sentence reductions using 3582(c)(1)(A)
• With lots more new grants, time for another timely review of the latest COVID-influenced federal sentence reductions using § 3582(c)(1)(A) 
• A big list for a whole week's worth of COVID-influenced federal sentence reductions using § 3582(c)(1)(A) 
• Despite a short work week, still another long list of new COVID-influenced federal sentence reductions using § 3582(c)(1)(A) 
• Bernie Madoff denied federal sentence reduction, but many others receive relief under § 3582(c)(1)(A) on same day