Getting Back to Basics: How the Sentencing Commission’s Proposed and Adopted 2025 Amendments to the Drug and Supervised Release Guidelines Better Align the Guidelines with Their Stated Purposes

Abstract: In theory, sentencing should be simple: hold individuals accountable for their actions and facilitate their reentry into society. Yet in the nearly forty years since the promulgation of the United States Sentencing Guidelines, sentencing has moved away from true accountability and rehabilitation when considering the guidelines for drug offenses and supervised release. The United States Sentencing Commission recently proposed and adopted amendments that substantively change these guidelines. This article analyzes how the 2025 proposed and adopted amendments to the guidelines better integrate the basic principles of sentencing, create a more just society, and strengthen the public’s confidence in the rule of law.