December 29, 2025: Monday

We’re continuing to make great progress on the development of our website. But in the process of that site development, I received a message from a young woman who was asking me to provide guidance on a specific section in the law.

When the site is fully built out, it will include a section where we offer guidance on these types of questions. Since it isn’t built yet, I promised her that I would write an answer on our site update. Later, when our web developer catches up on tasks, I’ll transfer that information into the appropriate section of our website. I’ll use a subheading for people to follow along:

Rule 35 Motion:

A Clarification About Rule 35, and What Truly Moves the Needle

I recently heard from a woman who visited our website while searching for ways to help her father, who is serving a lengthy federal sentence. She had read about Rule 35 and hoped it might give him a path to ask the court for a sentence reduction.

Her question was thoughtful, and her confusion was understandable. Rule 35 has existed for decades, but the law changed in a way that many people do not realize. Whether Rule 35 applies depends entirely on when the offense occurred and when the sentence was imposed.

My own case occurred before November 1, 1987. That date matters.

Why Rule 35 Worked Differently in the Past

Before November 1, 1987, a person sentenced in federal court could personally file a Rule 35 motion asking the judge to reconsider and reduce the sentence. The request had to be made within a limited time after the sentence became final, but judges had broad discretion to evaluate the request. Cooperation with prosecutors was not required.

That earlier version of Rule 35 is why you may see references to it in my story or in older cases.

How Rule 35 Works Today

For anyone sentenced on or after November 1, 1987, Rule 35 changed completely.

Today, a person in prison cannot file a Rule 35 motion on their own. Only the prosecutor can file it, and only for specific reasons tied to substantial assistance. Judges do not have authority to reduce a sentence under Rule 35 unless the government initiates the request.

That means for most people sentenced today, Rule 35 is not a tool they can personally use, no matter how sincere their remorse or how strong their rehabilitation.

This reality can be disappointing, especially for families looking for hope. But clarity matters. It allows people to focus their energy on what actually helps.

What I Encourage Instead

Even when Rule 35 is not available, preparation still matters. Effort still matters. Documentation still matters.

That is why I encourage people to use the free resources at Prison Professors.

Our platform exists to help people take responsibility for their future and to build a record that shows growth, accountability, and readiness for higher levels of liberty. Through education, journaling, book reports, and release planning, individuals can memorialize the work they are doing to change their lives.

This is not about waiting for a legal shortcut. It is about learning how to self-advocate by showing, over time, why you are worthy of trust and opportunity.

Build a Profile. Tell Your Story. Document the Work.

I encourage anyone in federal prison, and the families supporting them, to begin by building a profile on our platform. Use it to document:

• Your acceptance of responsibility
  
• The lessons you are learning
  
• The books you are studying
  
• The goals you are pursuing
  
• The plans you are building for release
  

Over time, this body of work becomes evidence. It supports future requests for relief when opportunities arise, whether through administrative decisions, compassionate release, clemency, or other discretionary pathways.

No one can promise outcomes. But I can tell you this from lived experience: people who prepare, document their journey, and advocate for themselves stand in a far stronger position than those who wait passively.

Focus on What You Can Control

The law is rigid. But your response to it does not have to be passive.

Use the time. Use the resources. Learn. Build. Document. Advocate for yourself.

That is why Prison Professors exists, and that is how people create the strongest case possible for a better outcome.

By: MGS