Bill Lee: “I would like to give a few remarks about how I first became involved in the cause of sentencing reform within our…”

“I would like to give a few remarks about how I first became involved in the cause of sentencing reform within our Federal criminal justice system. I will never forget when I first began to appreciate the full magnitude of this problem--the problem we face within a Federal criminal justice system that is sometimes too inflexible and sometimes doesn't allow judges to take into account the unique circumstances of each case. It was 2004. I was a Federal prosecutor, an assistant U.S. attorney in Utah. In some cases, I witnessed judges being forced by Federal law to impose punishments that simply, under any standard, did not fit the crime--first-time offenders sometimes being locked up for periods of time longer than some rapists or murderers, terrorists or kidnappers. These were real people--people with children, siblings, parents, spouses, and, of course, dreams for a better life. Yet in too many cases the so-called system that was supposed to correct their mistakes arguably compounded them. This system wasn't just wasting money, it wasn't just wasting physical material resources, it was wasting lives. I know some in my party may view this as a progressive cause. I view it as a conservative one. Think about it.…”