NCJ Number
210611
Date Published
2005
Length
52 pages
Annotation
This 2003 Annual Report of the U.S. Sentencing Commission reviews amendments and policy decisions regarding sentencing guidelines, Federal courts' decisions on sentencing issues, sentencing-guideline training and education, and research.
Abstract
Guideline amendments that became effective on November 1, 2002, provided sentencing increases or expanded coverage for a number of offenses, including terrorism, cultural-heritage resource offenses, drug offenses, money laundering, sex-trafficking offenses, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In January 2003, the Commission voted unanimously to significantly increase penalties for corporate fraud and other serious white-collar fraud offenses. The PROTECT Act enacted April 30, 2003, directed the Commission to promulgate, within 180 days, guideline amendments that would ensure the incidence of downward guideline departures is substantially reduced. On May 1, 2003, the Commission sent to Congress a package of guideline amendments that would increase sentencing or expand coverage for a number of offenses, including white-collar frauds, terrorism, cybercrime, oxycodone trafficking, campaign finance offenses, and manslaughter. The amendment became effective November 1, 2003. One chapter of this report summarizes some of the more significant sentencing-related issues decided by the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal courts of appeals during fiscal year 2003. A chapter on guideline training and education addresses the features of the Commission's Internet Web site, public information activities, publications and training materials, and training activities conducted over the year. The chapter on Commission research addresses statutory requirements; document submission; data collection; and a summary of 2003 research findings in the areas of sentencing individual offenders, organizational sentencing practices, appeals data, the Government Accountability Office Report, and data analyses for the courts and the U.S. Congress. 52 notes