The First Step Act

The First Step Act, in plain English

This is the law behind earned time credits, and it is the difference between the sentence a judge imposed and the time somebody actually serves. It is also the single most misexplained thing in federal prison, by staff, by other inmates, and by consultants charging for the misexplanation.

Five parts. Read them in order the first time. If you only have ten minutes, read part two, because opt-in status is what decides whether any of the rest of it counts.

Start with part 1: How it works See all 5 parts

Sourced from the BOP's First Step Act Approved Programs Guide, May 2026 revision. Part five says where every number came from and where that document contradicts itself.

For someone inside

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Read this first

Exhibit A

The three sentences that cause the most damage

Almost every expensive misunderstanding about the First Step Act is one of these.

"RDAP is 500 credit hours, so that's 500 days off."Credit hours are not days. Credits accrue on the calendar, in 30-day blocks.

"I'm taking every class, so I'm earning."Not unless you're in opt-in status. Classes and opt-in are two different flags.

"I'm earning credits, so they'll come off my date."Only at low or minimum risk. At medium or high you're banking credits you can't currently spend.

Each of those gets its own part below.

Who this is for

Exhibit B

Both audiences, same arithmetic

This one is not filed under going in or under for families, because the math is identical on both sides of the glass and the family is usually the one with a browser.

If you're the person serving the sentence: parts two and three are the ones that cost you time if you get them wrong, and both of them are things you can act on from a kiosk this week.

If you're the person waiting: part two explains why a release date can move the wrong way for reasons nobody chose, including a hospital trip. Part four explains the 300 free phone minutes, which is the incentive families feel first.

The guide

Exhibit C

Read it in order

1. How it works

The three directives, the PATTERN risk score, the SPARC needs assessment, and what separates an EBRR from a productive activity.

2. Opt-in status

The seven things that drop you into opt-out status, the two that are nobody's decision, and why the days you lose are gone for good.

3. Earning and applying

Ten days per thirty, fifteen if you score low or minimum twice running. Who can apply them, the 365-day cap, and the petition medium and high risk have to file.

4. The programs

The four incentives, why credit hours are not days off, and the short list of programs that can actually move a PATTERN item.

5. The source

What the May 2026 revision changed, the four places the document contradicts itself, and why your unit team may be holding an older copy.

The list itself

Exhibit D

All 127 approved programs

The guide explains the system. The list is the other half: every program the Bureau will give credit for, with the hours, the department that runs it, the needs it counts against, whether it can move a PATTERN item, and where it can be offered.

Every FSA approved program

All 127 of them, searchable, filterable by type, department, need, and whether the program is residential. Taken from the May 2026 revision. If a program isn't on this list, it earns no credit, whatever anybody tells you.

The tools

Exhibit E

Run the numbers on your own case

The release date estimator

Good conduct time, FSA credits, and jail credit, computed in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

The PATTERN calculator

Score the risk assessment yourself. It's the number that decides whether credits can be applied at all, and most people have never seen theirs.

Need help with this? Just ask.

These pages cover the general rules. Your situation has details they don't. Email me a question. Answers are free, and "you don't need to pay anyone for this" is my most common answer.

josh@federalprisondude.com

I answer in the order received, usually within a couple of days. I have a day job. If your situation genuinely needs more than an email, I take a limited number of consults, so say so and we'll work it out.

Pass it on

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