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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.

Navigating the Complexities of the First Step Act: Insights from a Recent Podcast Appearance

In a recent appearance on the "Set For Sentencing" podcast, the intricacies and challenges of the First Step Act (FSA) were thoroughly discussed. The podcast, hosted by an expert in federal sentencing, featured Walter Pavlo, founder of prisonology.com and a frequent contributor to Forbes on Bureau of Prisons (BOP) issues.

BOP Ordered To Transfer Prisoner Home After First Step Miscalculation

The federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is still trying to implement the First Step Act (FSA) over five years after the legislation was signed into law by then-President Trump. While the calculation of FSA credits to reduce a prison term for federal prisoners has mostly been fixed, a lack of space to put the prisoners at halfway houses is now causing problems.

The Bureau Of Prisons And The Chevron Doctrine

The Supreme Court just handed down an important decision on how federal agencies interpret laws by Congress. One of those agencies, the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), writes program statements that interpret the law regarding punishment (sentences) imposed by the courts. Two of those are the First Step Act and Second Chance Act, which have been interpreted by the BOP in such a way that has led to prisoners being kept in institutional housing for far longer than Congress had intended when the laws were passed. The Supreme Court ruling might change that.