Legal Commentary

Senate Committee Passes Webb Crime Commission Bill

By Jeralyn

The Senate Judiciary Committee finally approves a crime bill, and which one is it? The Webb Criminal Justice Commission bill ordering an 18 month study of criminal justice policies. Here's the amended bill voted out of committee today.

I hope this does not result in an 18 month moratorium on the passage of much needed crime bills that have been languishing for months and years, like bills to equalize the penalties for crack and powder cocaine and reduce or eliminate mandatory minimum sentences, or increase federal good time.

As I wrote ten months ago when this bill was introduced, we don't need another study. We know what's wrong. It's time to fix it, not issue yet another report. (The U.S. Sentencing Commission has issued multiple reports on the unfairness of mandatory minimums and crack-powder and not one has been acted on. Do we really need more?)

Full post as published by TalkLeft on January 21, 2010 (boomark / email).