Dear FAMMily,

The United States Sentencing Commission wants you to apply to be a member of their newly formed Sentence Impact Advisory Group (SIAG)!

The Commission has a number of existing advisory groups (you can see them all here: https://www.ussc.gov/about/who-we-are/advisory-groups) that provide important stakeholder perspective on issues relating to federal sentencing. Most recently, the Commission added an advisory group to bring the perspectives of individuals affected by federal sentencing into the Commission’s work. The Commission issued a charter (https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/advisory-groups/sentence-impact-advisory-group/2025_siag_charter.pdf ) detailing the responsibilities, membership, and commitment required to be part of the SIAG. Here is a summary of the opportunity:

Purpose and Responsibilities:

Assisting the Commission in fulfilling its statutory duties to review and revise the sentencing guidelines;
Providing input on proposed priorities and amendments;
Sharing information on federal sentencing issues with sentenced individuals, their families, and advocacy groups; and
Assisting the Commission in better incorporating the experiences of impacted people in its work.

Membership:

Up to nine members, each being either a person who was sentenced for a federal conviction, or a family member.
Members are appointed by the Commission.
Initial terms are staggered: three members serve for three years, three for two years, and three for one year. Subsequent terms are three years, with a one-year hiatus required after two consecutive terms.

Chair and Meetings:

The Commission will select a Chair of SIAG from among the members. The Chair presides over meetings, develops agendas, confers with the Commission, and coordinates SIAG positions.
The group meets at least once annually, with meetings approved and funded by the Commission. Members may participate remotely.
A quorum (majority of members) is required for meetings, and actions are decided by a majority vote of those present.

If you are interested in being considered for this position, you can find the application instructions here (https://www.ussc.gov/policymaking/federal-register-notices/federal-register-notice-seeking-applications-2025-sentence-impact-advisory-group). The deadline to apply is June 6, 2025. We hope you will consider applying to this exciting opportunity! The Commission needs more voices like yours.

Best,