Prison Reform

Prison reform in the United States federal system covers the laws, programs, and clemency decisions that change how people are sentenced, how long they serve, and how they return to society. The modern federal framework rests on two statutes. The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 narrowed the penalty gap between crack and powder cocaine. The First Step Act of 2018 expanded earned time credits, broadened reentry programming, and reauthorized the Second Chance Act. This page collects Prisonpedia's coverage of reform laws, the people who advocate for them, and the programs that put them into practice.

Key Legislation

The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 was signed into law on August 3, 2010. It reduced the disparity in the quantity of crack cocaine versus powder cocaine needed to trigger federal mandatory minimum sentences. The prior ratio was 100 to 1. The Act set it at 18 to 1. It also eliminated the five-year mandatory minimum for simple possession of crack cocaine.

The First Step Act of 2018 was signed into law on December 21, 2018, as Public Law 115-391. The statute has three main parts. It directed the Bureau of Prisons to build a risk and needs assessment system. It modified certain mandatory minimum sentences. It reauthorized the Second Chance Act of 2007. Under the Act, eligible federal inmates can earn time credits toward earlier transfer to prerelease custody or supervised release by completing approved programs. The Act also made parts of the Fair Sentencing Act retroactive, which allowed certain people sentenced before 2010 to seek reduced terms. Related topics on Prisonpedia include Recalculation of Earned and Good Time Credits and Retroactive Sentencing Amendments.

Clemency and Commutations

Clemency is a separate path from legislation. The President holds the clemency power under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, which covers offenses against the United States. The power does not reach state convictions or cases of impeachment. A pardon forgives a federal offense. A commutation shortens a sentence without erasing the conviction. The Office of the Pardon Attorney reviews petitions and advises the President, who is not bound by its recommendations.

Alice Marie Johnson is a case that drew wide attention to federal clemency. She was convicted in 1996 on drug conspiracy charges and sentenced to life in prison. Her sentence was commuted in 2018 after she had served more than two decades. She received a full pardon in 2020. For procedural background, see Overview of Post-Conviction Remedies and the Category:Clemency index.

Programming and Reentry

The federal system runs programs intended to lower the chance that a person returns to prison. The Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) is an intensive treatment program. Inmates who complete it may qualify for a sentence reduction of up to one year under 18 U.S.C. § 3621(e). The First Step Act expanded the catalog of recidivism reduction programs that earn time credits, including education and vocational training.

Prisonpedia documents several parts of this system. See Postsecondary Education Opportunities for college and certificate programs, Diversion Programs in Criminal Justice for alternatives to incarceration, and Overview of Reentry Processes for the steps that follow release. The Category:First Step Act index groups the statute's program provisions.

Advocates and Organizations

Reform work also runs through advocates and nonprofit groups. Topeka Sam is a formerly incarcerated advocate who founded organizations focused on women returning from prison. Alice Marie Johnson became a national voice on clemency and sentencing after her release. The White Collar Support Group provides peer support for people facing or recovering from white collar prosecutions, and the White Collar Conference convenes practitioners, families, and reentry professionals. Coverage of broader reform efforts sits under Category:Criminal Justice Reform.

See Also

• Category:Criminal Justice Reform
• Federal Criminal Law
• Prison Conditions