Dear friend,

There was good news last week for thousands of families with loved ones in federal prison and on home confinement. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) published a rule implementing the Earned Time Credits provision of the 2018 First Step Act. The rule makes changes that allow more people to get out of prison earlier!

Eligible individuals may earn 10 to 15 days of credit for every 30-day period that they successfully participate in recommended programming or productive activities based on their risk and needs assessment. Individuals on home confinement and in halfway houses, not just those in BOP facilities, are eligible to earn those same credits. People are also being awarded credits retroactively, based on their activities from December 21, 2018, with certain limitations.

Although Congress originally restricted the number of people who could benefit from the Earned Time Credit, the Justice Department made clear that it will implement the provisions boldly and expansively, so that thousands of people will benefit. We're already hearing directly from people benefiting from this change — joyful families across the country are reuniting, rebuilding, and healing.

You can learn more about this rule and how it will benefit families through FAMM's explainer: https://famm.org/wp-content/uploads/First-Step-Act-Earned-Time-Credits-Rule-Explainer.pdf

On behalf of families being reunited across the country, we thank you for your advocacy.

Best,

Kevin Ring
President, FAMM