Our Blog

Trump Makes News With More Pardons And Commutations

During his first term, President Donald Trump issued a total of 238 pardons and commutations (143 pardons and 85 commutations). Like presidents before him, the majority of those receiving commutations had served a significant part of their prison term while most all of those pardoned had completed their sentence years ago. In fact, most executive orders for commutations come in the final days of the administration, not at the beginning.

Office Of Inspector General Critical Of Federal Prison Medical Care

This month, the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced the release of an evaluation assessing the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ practices regarding colorectal cancer (screenings for inmates and the follow-up care provided after positive screenings. The DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General identified significant operational and managerial shortcomings that the BOP must address to ensure inmates receive appropriate screening and treatment for CRC.

December 28, 2024

Bureau Of Prisons: 2024 Year In Review And Outlook for 2025

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) experienced a dynamic year marked by progress, challenges, and resolution of lingering issues. Under the leadership of Director Collette Peters, the BOP appears poised to become a leaner more efficient organization, focused on tackling persistent problems like understaffing and infrastructure modernization.

December 26, 2024

ACLU Files Class Action Against Bureau Of Prisons Over First Step Act

In November 2022, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) wrote to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette Peters about their concerns concerning the implementation of the First Step Act (FSA). The FSA was a sweeping criminal justice legislation signed into law by then-President Donald Trump on December 2018. Nearly four years after the passage of that law, Durbin and Grassley stated then that:

December 21, 2024

New Rules On Federal Inmate Financial Responsibility Program

The amount of money that federal prisoners have in their commissary accounts came under scrutiny when it was reported that some prisoners, namely Larry Nasser and R. Kelly, had tens of thousands of dollars in their account. The money, many believed, should not be used on improving the comforts of prison when there are victims to be compensated. As a result, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and Department of Justice proposed supplemental notice of a proposed rule in how it handles the Inmate Financial Responsibility Program (IFRP).