Federal criminal sentencing experts Alan Ellis and Mark Allenbaugh dissect the First Step Act of 2018, a new bipartisan federal prison reform law. In Part 1 of a three-part series, the authors focus on the significant expansion of the “safety valve;” the reduction of mandatory minimum penalties for second and third-strike offenders; the elimination of a particular draconian form of “stacking”; and making the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive. The authors warn the immediate impact of the changes may be minimal, given that some are not retroactive.
INSIGHT: The First Step Act of 2018— A Significant First Step in Sentencing Reform
By Alan Ellis