The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 15-5 on Thursday to approve the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 that was co-authored by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
The legislation allows judges to issue lower mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses and also makes the Fair Sentencing Act retroactive, potentially shortening terms for thousands of inmates incarcerated on drug-related charges.
“Today, on a bipartisan basis, the Judiciary Committee took a big step toward solving a massive problem," Durbin said. "This compromise bill represents many years of work on criminal justice reform. The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country on earth. Mandatory minimum sentences were once seen as a strong deterrent. In reality they have too often been unfair, fiscally irresponsible and a threat to public safety. Given tight budgets and overcrowded prison cells, our country must reform these outdated and ineffective laws that have cost American taxpayers billions of dollars. This is how the Congress is supposed to work."
The bill now moves to the full Senate for debate.
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