Sensenbrenner-Scott SAFE Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-2944
Sponsor: Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Aging
Child care and development
Child safety and welfare
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Crime prevention
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Department of Justice
Detention of persons
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Due process and equal protection
Evidence and witnesses
Federal district courts
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government studies and investigations
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Legislative rules and procedure
Mental health
Performance measurement
Public contracts and procurement
Racial and ethnic relations
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
U.S. Sentencing Commission
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

Sensenbrenner-Scott Over-Criminalization Task Force Safe, Accountable, Fair, Effective Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015 or the Sensenbrenner-Scott SAFE Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015

 
This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to: (1) compile and publish federal law violations with criminal penalties, (2) reduce over-federalization of criminal conduct and over-incarceration due to pretrial detention, (3) create a online complaint process to challenge prosecutions and (4) create training and best practices for prosecutors and law enforcement officers that reduce the inaccuracy and unreliability of evidence in criminal cases.
 
It prohibits sentencing courts from considering defendant's acquitted conduct and grants discretion to disregard manipulated conduct involving the Controlled Substances Act.
 
It reauthorizes the Innocence Protection Act of 2001 for FY2016-FY2021. 
 
The bill expands pre-judgment probation, safety valve, and compassionate release eligibility.
 
It creates problem-solving courts, establishes a presumption of probation for certain non-violent first-time offenders, and limits prior drug offenses that trigger enhanced mandatory minimum prison terms. 
 
It limits application of drug offense mandatory minimums to drug trafficking organization leaders, organizers, or employees. (Drug offenses include unlawful import, export, manufacture, or distribution of, or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.)
 
It also reduces from life to 35 years the maximum mandatory minimum for certain drug offenses. 
 
The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 applies retroactively to permit resentencing of a convicted crack cocaine offender sentenced before August 3, 2010. 
 
DOJ must develop a post-sentencing risk and needs assessment system. 
 
 The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) must provide residential substance abuse treatment to all eligible offenders. 
 
The bill establishes a standardized graduated sanctioning system for supervised release or probation violations. It eliminates mandatory revocation for certain minor violations and creates a performance-incentive funding program for judicial districts. 
 
BOP may grant 54 days of good time credit regardless of satisfactory GED progress. Probation officers may award positive reinforcement (e.g. discharge credits) for compliance with terms of supervision.
The bill adds one non-voting, public defender member to the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
action_date: 2015-06-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in House