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Federal Prison Math. When math isn’t mathing in federal prison. After several direct orders not only are several federal prisons not honoring directives from Billy Marshall but even the DSCC is responding to questions about federal prisons like this!

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BOP Math Isn’t Mathing

This spring new Federal Prison Director (BOP) William K Marshall III “Billy” made a huge splash. In fact, even to this day his new executive team; himself, Deputy Director Josh Smith and Assistant Deputy Director Rick Stover have breathed new life into an embattled agency.

Since Marshall’s tenure began they’ve implemented new changes into how First Step Act and Second Chance Act are supposed to be calculated and applied to all eligible inmates in Federal Prison. They’ve also started unprecedented “unannounced” visits to several federal prisons and others with very limited time to prepare. For example when I was an inmate in Federal Prison (2018-2024) institutions would get days if not weeks to prepare for even a regional visit to their institution. That often meant fresh coats of paint, lockdowns and certain select inmates made available to the “guests” the kinds that would toe the company line.

I was fortunate enough to have some “on the record” calls with Assistant Deputy Director Stover. I’m also in email communication with all of them and since that time I’ve toed the company line moreso than not, why because as a former inmate I do see actual change, and a lot of it.

I was speaking over dinner in DC with a former Deputy Director back in July when she brought up the fact that huge policy changes like the 47 days to 54 days and the “RDAP year” took quite a while to fully implement. “uptick across 120+ facilities” takes some time, as does buy in. But even from her vantage point, things are changing.

It’s hard to tell the hundreds of inmates and their families that call every day “wait and be patient”. But I can honestly report that there are about 50 facilities that are doing exactly what they’re supposed to stack fsa, and SCA and if home confinement eligible than all of the time after the first 365 days of credit have been applied, go to pre-release custody.

Walt Pavlo Brilliantly Outlines The Current Situation

Let’s be clear, in his latest Prisonology column, Forbes columnist, and former federal inmate; Walt Pavlo, brilliantly outlines the current situation in federal prison; many inmates with short sentences are getting “jipped” of the time they’re supposed to receive through FSA and SCA when doing exactly what they should do would solve the chronic understaffing and infrastructure problems in the Bureau of Prisons.

Walt’s 100% correct, but Federal Prison Tips is also correct. If the Bureau of Prisons staff across the country would do exactly as their told, then the problem would be solved. Yet many institutions are not.

Bureau Of Prisons Spins USA First Step

Carey Bilyeu another Federal Prison advocate who operates USA First Step and a world class statistician asked one simple question, is the BOP calculating First Step Act credit from the day the inmate’s sentence starts, a break even point and at what point do they stop counting.

This is the letter Bilyeu sent to Rick Stover via the publicly facing email system:

And this is the response from the Bureau

Click on the images to read them clearly.

Even after having possession of the response for three days here at Federal Prison Tips we still can’t comprehend what exactly the BOP is saying and how it even comes close to resembling the “company line” as far as First Step Act and Second Chance Act is concerned.

Marshall, Smith and Stover have made it clear, inmates in Federal Prison are supposed to get what they’ve rightfully earned. Under the letter of the law as defined by Congress in 2018 with the First Step Act and 2008 with the Second Chance Act even to this day thousands of inmates are in prison well after they’ve earned the right to go back into the community.

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