[AicapAifap] Pardon Me!

[Alliance of Incarcerated Canadians/Foreigners in American Prisons]

	Dear Aicap,
         Earlier this month, President Trump sat down with Sen. Chuck
Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sen. Lindsay Graham
(R-S.C.), and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to discuss improving the FIRST
STEP Act (H.R. 5682) by adding in sentencing reform provisions.
Sources close to the president now say that President Trump is open to
signing criminal justice reform legislation that includes both prison
reform AND sentencing reform. FAMM has been urging the Senate to
include sentencing reform in the FIRST STEP Act for months, so we're
encouraged by this news. 

 The Senate will now work to add sentencing reform to the FIRST STEP
Act and pass it out of the Senate before this Congress ends in
January. We believe that the Senate is discussing adding four
provisions from the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act (S. 1917) to
the FIRST STEP Act:  

 • Remove section 924(c) gun enhancement stacking;
 • Lower the mandatory minimums for section 841/851 enhancements
(repeat drug offenders);
 • Make the Fair Sentencing Act retroactive (crack cocaine
disparity); and
 • Expand the federal safety valve exception to mandatory minimum
drug sentences.

  Learn More About These Provisions 
	We don't know yet how many of these sentencing reforms will
ultimately get included, or how many people they might help, but we
are hopeful that the Senate can reach a compromise and pass an
improved bill. Should they succeed, the bill would then need to pass
the House of Representatives (who passed a prison reform version of
the FIRST STEP Act earlier this summer) before it can be signed by the
president.  

 The time to pass a bill is very short, so FAMM will be working
overtime in the weeks ahead. On August 22, we are hosting an expert
panel to educate congressional staffers and the public on the
sentencing reform provisions being considered for the FIRST STEP Act.
The event will take place at 2:00 PM in room 226 of the Dirksen Senate
Office Building.  

 Thank you for your continued support. We would not have the
opportunity to pass a meaningful and comprehensive criminal justice
reform without your tireless support and advocacy.   

 Sincerely,
 Molly Gill
Vice President of Policy, FAMM           
                        1100 H Street NW | Suite 1000 | Washington,
D.C. 20005 | Tel: (202) 822-6700
               FAMM © 2018 All rights reserved.
  
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