Bill > HR6471

This bill aims to provide more compassionate sentencing options for individuals who have experienced abuse, domestic violence, or human trafficking and have subsequently committed a criminal offense. The legislation allows courts to impose sentences below the mandatory minimum or alternative sentences like probation or community confinement for "victim offenders" who can demonstrate that their traumatic experiences were a significant factor in their criminal behavior. Key provisions include allowing courts to consider affidavits showing physical, emotional, sexual, or psychological abuse, and ensuring that the lack of prior evidence of abuse or the absence of physical injury does not disqualify an individual from seeking sentencing relief. The bill defines various forms of violence, including dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking, and applies to both pending and past cases. It also directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review and amend sentencing guidelines to account for a victim offender's traumatic experiences. Contextually, the bill highlights the disproportionate incarceration rates in the United States, particularly for women, and recognizes the high prevalence of abuse and trauma among incarcerated individuals, seeking to provide a more nuanced approach to criminal sentencing that takes into account the complex circumstances of victim offenders.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6471/all-info