Question: What was the likely catalyst that prompted the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend federal guidelines in 2014? It was a new sentencing commission and it was normal to see amendments like this when there is a change of personnel. It was recently discovered that drug felons rehabilitate quicker than ever expected. There was a job explosion during that time, which opened up thousands of jobs in the community that drug felons qualified for. There was overcrowding.