Steve Buyer: “Mr. Speaker, in the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, Congress abolished parole in the Federal system, and decided to phase…”

“Mr. Speaker, in the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, Congress abolished parole in the Federal system, and decided to phase out the Parole Commission. In 1990, Congress extended the time line for this phaseout by an additional 5 years, because there were still several thousand parole-eligible offenders in the Federal system and the Sentencing Reform Act had not made any provisions for the necessary, ongoing functions of the Commission. The Commission is currently set to expire November 1, 1997, and S. 1507, the Parole Commission Phaseout Act, would extend the Commission for an additional 5 years. If this bill is not enacted, the Commission must soon begin to take steps in preparation for shutting down the agency. There are several considerations which justify support for S. 1507. At the end of fiscal year 1996, there will still be approximately 6,700 parole-eligible, old law defendants in the Federal system. Constitutional requirements, specifically the ex post facto clause, necessitate the extension of the Commission or the establishment of a similar entity. Otherwise, those remaining old law offenders will file habeas corpus petitions seeking release on the grounds that their right to be considered for parole had been unconstitutionally eliminated. S. 1507 also includes provisions to guarantee the continued downsizing of the Parole Commission.”