Fernandez v. United States · ¶80

This problem was what Congress set out to address when it created various “ `safety valve[s]' ” on the back end of the sentencing process, allowing district courts to exercise their discretion to reduce sentences in “unusual case[s].” S. Rep. No. 98–225, at 121. The compassionate-release provision was one of them. As enacted in 1984, § 3582(c)(1)(A) permitted the Director of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to petition a sentencing court for a reduction in a prisoner's sentence. § 212(a)(2), 98 Stat. 1998–1999. And it authorized a court to grant such a petition if, “ `after considering the factors set forth in section 3553(a),' ” the court found “ `that extraordinary and compelling reasons' ” justified the reduction and that such a reduction was “ `consistent with applicable policy statements issued by the Sentencing Commission.' ” Ibid.

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