Sentencing Law and Policy: US Sentencing Commission suggests lowering drug guideline sentences across the board!

It used to be an iron law of politics that criminal penalties only went up, never down.  But the catastrophe of the war on drugs has led to an emerging consensus that drug penalties are too harsh. - GWC
Sentencing Law and Policy: US Sentencing Commission suggests lowering drug guideline sentences across the board!:

In a vote that may not be historic but is still very important and a sign of the times, the US Sentencing Commission earlier today voted to publish proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines which include an across-the-board reduction in the sentences recommended for all drug offenses. This official press release effectively summarizes and contextualizes this proposed amendments and others that were voted upon today at the USSC's public meeting:

The United States Sentencing Commission voted today to publish proposed guideline amendments, including possible reductions to the sentencing guidelines levels for federal drug trafficking offenses. Another proposed amendment addressed implementation of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.
The bipartisan Commission voted to seek comment on a proposed amendment to lower by two levels the base offense levels in the Drug Quantity Table across drug types in guideline §2D1.1, which governs drug trafficking cases. Commission analysis indicates that such a change in the guidelines would result in a reduction of approximately 11 months for those drug trafficking offenders who would benefit, resulting in a reduction in the federal prison population of approximately 6,550 inmates by the fifth year after the change.

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