5 de agosto de 2026
Earning First Step Act Federal Time Credits Over Time
Educational companion to the Prison Professors sentence projection calculator
Planning note: This article provides general educational information. Only the Bureau of Prisons can make an official sentence computation, eligibility finding, credit decision, treatment decision, or placement decision. Policies and individual facts may change the result.
The statutory earning rate
Under 18 U.S.C. § 3632(d)(4), an eligible person earns 10 days of time credits for every 30 days of successful participation in assigned evidence-based recidivism reduction programs or productive activities.
The person may earn an additional five days for each 30-day period after the BOP determines that the person has maintained minimum or low risk over the two most recent consecutive assessments. The enhanced rate depends on completed assessments and BOP findings—not merely on the passage of six calendar months.
When earning begins
The regulation states that earning begins after the term of imprisonment commences, meaning the person arrives or voluntarily surrenders at the designated BOP facility where the sentence will be served. Pretrial detention and time in U.S. Marshals Service custody generally do not generate FTCs under the BOP’s published guidance.
The calculator uses the surrender or expected arrival date as the projected earning start. That assumption may differ from the official commencement or earning record.
Successful participation controls
The BOP must determine that the person successfully participates in programs or productive activities recommended from the individualized risk-and-needs assessment. Opting out, declining assigned work, failing an assessment component, disciplinary segregation, certain transfers, or other non-earning periods can interrupt accrual.
Program waitlists require attention. BOP policy may preserve earning status during a qualifying waitlist when the person remains willing to participate, but later refusal can affect credits associated with that period.
Chronological accrual prevents front-loading
Suppose a future projection suggests that a person could eventually earn hundreds of credits. The BOP cannot apply credits before they have been earned. The calculator must therefore find the point at which completed 30-day earning periods produce enough credits to meet the modeled remainder.
This approach often produces fewer credits and a later transition than a formula that calculates eventual credits from the original sentence and deducts them immediately. The result may feel less dramatic, but it more honestly represents the timing structure.
Document earning status
Complete PATTERN and needs assessments promptly and request copies of the Individualized Needs Plan and FTC worksheet.
Participate in assigned activities, keep completion records, and document waitlist status or program interruptions.
Review SENTRY or Insight assignments with the unit team during program reviews. Ask about any declined, failed, opted-out, or non-earning code.
Maintain clear conduct and request written clarification when the official credit balance differs from the expected balance.
Primary sources and further research
18 U.S.C. § 3632(d)(4) — FTC earning rules
28 C.F.R. §§ 523.41–523.43 — participation, earning, and loss
BOP Program Statement 5410.01 CN-2
BOP FSA Frequently Asked Questions
BOP Conditional FSA Release Date Calculator explanation
A practical reminder
Use projections to prepare, not to make promises. A person can strengthen the record by acting consistently, documenting progress, addressing assessed needs, preparing for release, and communicating respectfully with staff. A strong record may support informed discretionary decisions, but it never guarantees a particular result.
If you are entering the prison system—or supporting a loved one who is—we encourage you to use the free tools at Prison Professors. Start by building a profile that memorializes the journey: goals, decisions, completed work, lessons learned, service, relationships, and release preparation. Develop the profile over time so it shows sustained growth rather than a last-minute collection of documents.
For this topic, preserve monthly participation records, FTC worksheets, reassessment results, program completions, waitlist information, and any non-earning periods or lost-credit decisions.
A well-developed profile may support self-advocacy during imprisonment, on supervised release, or when seeking relief such as early termination of supervised release or executive clemency. It cannot guarantee a discretionary outcome, but it can give decision-makers a clearer factual record. To learn how to build and develop one, use our free workbook: Playbook: Become the CEO of Your Life.