Alison Siegler Contributes to DC Roundtable on Federal Sentencing Guidelines Reform
Professor Alison Siegler, Founding Director of the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic, had an opportunity to help shape the future of federal drug sentencing policy by participating in a distinguished invitation-only roundtable discussion last fall in Washington, DC hosted by the United States Sentencing Commission. The event brought together a select group of academics, federal judges, and practitioners to provide expert input on potential changes to the federal sentencing Guidelines.
The Drug Sentencing Roundtable served as a forum to assist the Sentencing Commission in moving forward on its priorities for 2025, which include “reducing the costs of unnecessary incarceration” and “expanding the Commission’s use of expertise, evidence, and best practices.” On Friday, January 24, the Commission unveiled proposed amendments to the Guidelines that reflect these priorities.
“I was honored to participate in the Sentencing Roundtable,” Siegler said of her involvement. “It’s encouraging to see that the Commission has taken that discussion into consideration in crafting these proposals. My students in the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic will also contribute to this important process by submitting a Public Comment on the proposed amendments.”
Students enrolled in Siegler’s clinic are addressing mass incarceration at both ends of the federal criminal system—post-conviction and pre-trial. Beyond trying to rectify the harms of disproportionate post-conviction sentences and related racial disparities through their work with the Sentencing Commission, the clinic is leading federal bail reform efforts in this country with continued advocacy to solve the problems identified in their Freedom Denied study, the first national investigation of federal pre-trial jailing. For example, last week Siegler gave multiple speeches at a national Bail Boot Camp conference put on by the Defender Services Training Division of the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts. That conference, now in its third year, was created to train federal public defenders to use the clinic’s Freedom Denied investigation to advocate for their clients’ release and is entirely structured around the clinic’s work. Clinic students also helped write the training materials and speeches for the conference.
Siegler and her students will be drafting an article about the new drug Guidelines to be published in a future issue of the Federal Sentencing Reporter for which Siegler will serve as Guest Editor.