The U.S. Sentencing Commission, a bipartisan, independent agency located in the judicial branch of government, was created by Congress in 1984 to reduce sentencing disparities and promote transparency and proportionality in sentencing. The Commission collects, analyzes, and distributes a broad array of information on federal sentencing practices, continuously establishing and amending sentencing guidelines for the judicial branch and assisting the other branches in developing effective and efficient crime policy.