NACDL seeks volunteers in historic pro bono effort to secure compassionate release for the most vulnerable federal prisoners.
Learn MoreThe First Step Act
The First Step Act (P.L. 115-391 756) was signed into law on December 21, 2018. The Act is a federal criminal justice reform bill that changes many harsh federal sentencing laws. The Act also expands compassionate release for qualifying federal inmates and offers current federal inmates rehabilitative programming and the possibility for early release from prison.
NACDL and its members have long pressed to fix the unjustly severe federal sentencing regime, advocating for much more sweeping changes than were included in the First Step Act. Although the law did not go nearly as far as NACDL would have liked, it still benefits many inmates and has important implications for practitioners. NACDL continues to push for additional criminal justice legislation to ensure the First Step Act is completely implemented, and for legislation that goes beyond the First Step Act. Information and resources regarding the First Step Act can be found below and throughout the website, and are also consolidated for your convenience.
Full Text of the First Step Act (pdf)
Resources Related to Provisions of the First Step Act
for Federal Criminal Law Practitioners:
Risk and Needs Assessment System/Earned Time Credits (Title I) Good Time Credit Updates (Title I, Section 102) Sentencing Reform Provisions Under the First Step Act (Title IV) Compassionate Release (Title VI, Section 603)
NACDL Resources on COVID-19 Response/Release
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WEBINARS
In these members-only webinars, leading experts examine the intricacies of the First Step Act from sentencing implications and risk assessments to expanded mechanisms for early release.
Available to the public: Everything You Wanted To Know About Federal Compassionate Release (But Didn’t Know To Ask)
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