Last week, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic’s Federal Criminal Justice Project Alison Siegler testified at the final of seven hearings held by the United States Sentencing Commission to gather input about the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines from judges, practitioners, and academics. This hearing, entitled “The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later,” was held in Phoenix, Arizona.

According to its website,

The United States Sentencing Commission is an independent agency in the judicial branch of government. Its principal purposes are: (1) to establish sentencing policies and practices for the federal courts, including guidelines to be consulted regarding the appropriate form and severityof punishment for offenders convicted of federal crimes; (2) to advise and assist Congress and the executive branch in the development of effective and efficient crime policy; and (3) to collect, analyze, research, and distribute a broad array of information on federal crime and sentencing issues, serving as an information resource for Congress, the executive branch, the courts, criminal justice practitioners, the academic community, and the public.

Read more at United States Sentencing Commission