Mr. Jack Donson, Executive Director of the Federal Prison Education and Reform Alliance, along with moderator, Patricia Cresta-Savage, Chair of the Corrections Committee, discuss the recent updates to the "How to Navigate the Prison System Guide." Mr. Donson discusses navigating the BOP from pre-trial to sentencing classification and post-conviction. He reviews the updated Guide to include the links to documents, references, policies and procedures for incarcerated individuals, practitioners, and their families.

Memo prepared for the webinar "Everything You Wanted To Know About Federal Compassionate Release (But Didn’t Know To Ask)."

Navigating the federal criminal justice system’s policies, procedures, and practices can feel insurmountable. From pre-trial through post-sentencing and on to pre-release, a web of “program statements” and institutional practices guide the Federal Bureau of Prisons in making decisions relating to confinement and release. This guide is designed to help ease some of those challenges. Each section highlights obstacles confinement poses and offers resources and strategies to overcome these barriers. Prepared by the NACDL Corrections Committee. [Released Mar 2021; updated Nov 2023]

Back on November 4, 2022, NACDL’s then President Nellie L. King wrote to Director Peters to amplify the association’s call for (1) permitting privileged and unmonitored email communications between attorneys and clients in both pretrial and post-conviction settings and (2) for a “help desk” to facilitate scheduling of privileged attorney-client telephone calls.

We have seen the DOJ Advisory Group’s July 20, 2023, Report and Recommendations... In general, we think many of the recommendations are sensible. But some of them are troubling.

NACDL supports the Commission’s proposed amendment to §1B1.13, with some suggested modifications, and supports Option 3 to (b)(6). After reviewing the Commission’s recent hearings on this proposed amendment as well as the submitted written testimony, NACDL focuses its comments on proposals (b)(5), (b)(6), and (b)(4).

NACDL submits this comment in response the Bureau of Prisons’ Proposed rule that would significantly change the regulations regarding the Inmate Financial Responsibility Program. We oppose these proposed changes, which are harsh and inequitable and will harm not only people who are incarcerated, but their families and dependents.

Federal Bureau of Prisons and Mental Health Treatment presented by John Albanes and Jack Donson

Why the Federal Bureau of Prisons Must Stop Monitoring Confidential Legal Emails

This report by NACDL and the Samuelson Clinic makes the case for Congress to act immediately to protect the attorney-client privilege in emails sent between attorneys' offices and people in BOP custody. It also calls for the BOP to stop its practice of requiring incarcerated clients to “voluntarily” agree that their email will be monitored and that attorney-client privilege will not apply to legal emails, just as the government is required to in other contexts. [Released December 2020]

What happens to our clients after sentencing is largely a mystery to defense attorneys. For most of us, our impressions of prison are created more by fictionalized media than actual knowledge. Our lack of familiarity with the corrections system makes us ill-equipped to prepare our clients for what they can actually expect on the inside. In this webcast, former federal prisoner turned professor Michael Santos speaks about what defenders can do to help prepare their clients prepare for prison and beyond.

A listening session sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Prisons provided an opportunity for NACDL to share its concerns with Bureau staff members on multiple topics of interest.

On behalf of NACDL, I urge you to pass the bipartisan Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act, H.R. 546/S. 3524, before the 117th Congress adjourns. The bill ensures that email communications between people in Federal Bureau of Prisons custody and their legal teams are protected with the same privilege as legal visits, letters, and phone calls. This legislation passed in the House with overwhelming bipartisan support in a 414-11 vote. The action by the House and bipartisan sponsorship for the Senate bill indicates a high level of support for this common-sense reform.

NACDL’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution supporting an independent oversight body for the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

We submit these comments on the interim rule, published by BOP on December 5, 2013 … on sentence reduction for extraordinary and compelling reasons. The first provision codifies existing practice by which, when considering a prisoner for reduction in sentence, the General Counsel solicits the opinion of the United States Attorney in the district in which the prisoner was sentenced. The second provision provides that the Bureau’s “final decision is subject to the general supervision and direction of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General.” Neither provision should be adopted.

We appreciate the opportunity to comment in response to the Department of Justice’s recent Proposed Rule interpreting the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to permit individuals placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 emergency to remain on home confinement once the emergency ends. Commenters include attorneys who represent people impacted by this Proposed Rule, non-profit organizations that work with them, and organizations dedicated to the rule of law.