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A Theological Treatment of Compassionate Release
Gassiot, Cat
Gassiot, Cat
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Abstract
What does it mean to deserve compassion? Or for compassion to be justified? Federal judges routinely assess these questions when considering motions for a sentence reduction, also known as ‘compassionate release’, under 18 USC § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i). In a motion for compassionate release, the defendant is not asserting an error in conviction or sentencing, but rather that changed circumstances may merit a reduction in the sentence originally imposed. Compassionate release is commonly referred to as the justice system’s ‘safety valve’ for unusually long sentences or unexpected personal circumstances like illness which the court could not have foreseen at the initial sentencing stage.