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Recommendations


During its deliberations, the Task Force considered a wide range of pressing issues in its quest to identify top priorities for federal action on criminal justice. The following proposals represent actionable, politically viable steps that the federal government can take now and in the near future to produce the greatest improvements in public safety and the administration of justice.

Click each recommendation for an introduction, detailed implementation steps, and annotated citations.

1


Reinvigorate the U.S. Sentencing Commission

2


Eliminate Mandatory Minimums for Drug Crimes

3


Streamline the Criminal Code

4


Prohibit Acquitted Conduct Sentencing

5


Create Waivers for States with Legal Marijuana

6


Target High-Violence Cities with Evidence-Based Strategies

7


Ensure Sufficient Funding for Crime Victims

8


Establish Oversight of the Bureau of Prisons

9


Restore Pell Grants and Expand Education in Prison

10


Allow Courts to Take a Second Look at Sentences

11


Seal Lower-Level Criminal Records from Public View

12


Focus Accountability Courts on Higher-Risk Populations

13


Expand Public Housing Access for People with Convictions

14


Enhance Medicaid Support for Evidence-Based Treatment

15


Provide Guidance on Closing Medicaid Reentry Gaps

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