For the last three years, REFORM has been working in a coalition of unlikely allies on a mission to transform the federal supervised release system, one of the largest post-release supervision systems in the country.

Originally created by Congress to provide targeted support and monitoring in “rare” cases where supervision would support successful reentry or deter recidivism, supervised release has expanded dramatically and is now applied to nearly all non-immigration cases. This has strained law enforcement resources and detracted from its intended purpose: to support rehabilitation and reentry. Federal supervised release is also distinct from other types of sentences, in that it cannot be ordered as a form of punishment.

REFORM has advocated for a common-sense approach that would right-size our federal supervision system with evidence-based policies through the bipartisan Safer Supervision Act and through our Safer Supervision Coalition.

But this week, we had a crucial opportunity to directly influence change. REFORM’s Chief Policy Officer Erin Haney testified before the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) as they considered significant amendments to supervised release guidelines.

Created by Congress in 1984, the USCC is a bipartisan, independent agency that strives to reduce sentencing disparities and promote transparency and proportionality in sentencing. The Commission sets guidelines for judges to follow, and they can propose changes to how sentencing and supervision operate in the courts.

This public hearing was a chance for experts to weigh in on a set of amendments to the existing guidelines proposed by the Commission, which could lead to real improvements in the federal supervision system.

In her testimony, Haney underscored that, per congressional statute, federal supervised release is intended to support successful reentry and enhance community safety, not to serve as a form of punishment. However, the federal supervision system has deviated from this purpose.

“There is so much that is clearly broken with a system that was intended to do good,” she said.

The amendments proposed by the Commission, Haney said, align closely with the Safer Supervision Act and have earned support from a diverse and bipartisan group of organizations and advocates, including law enforcement leaders.

“I applaud the commission for zeroing in on those exact provisions that do have the most agreement on what can be made better,” Haney said. 

These amendments specifically address the following aspects of supervised release: individualized sentencing and conditions, early termination, and technical violations. 

These amendments would help restore federal supervised release to its original purpose – supporting reentry and keeping communities safe. For a deeper dive into each amendment and the supporting research, read Haney’s submitted comments to the Commission.

We hope the USSC will act swiftly to adopt these amendments, and we will continue to advocate for substantial improvements to the federal supervision system through the Safer Supervision Act and the Safer Supervision Coalition.