Calling a Rose a Rose
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare wrote. So why does it matter what an inmate filer calls his or her post-conviction motion under 28 USC § 2255? A month before the statutory one-year deadline for filing his § 2255 motion, Richie Elam filed a document he called “Defendant’s Motion Requesting SPECIAL DISCOVERY HEARING to Determine if Level of Court-Appointed […]
Is Taft Prison Closing, and What Does it Mean for You
If you’ve heard about Taft Correctional Institution closing, and wondered if it’s just a rumor, this is for you. Is Taft Correctional Institution closing Taft Correctional Institution is a private prison, owned by Management &. Training Corporation (MTC). The facility can house 2,500 inmates. We received a call from one of our clients who is […]
Prison Good Time: Goldilocks and the BOP
Questions surface about Good Time All of the New Year’s Eve revelers had not yet left Times Square when the first rumor of the new year landed in my email inbox. An inmate reader wrote: “The Bureau of Prisons is saying that even though the law now says that good time is to be applied […]
Earned Time Credits: the Devil’s in the Details
Do you understand Earned Time Credits Probably the biggest selling point used by First Step Act supporters when Congress passed the measure in December 2018 was that the bill would deliver evidence-based programming to reduce recidivism. The inmates would be assessed under a new program that accurately gauged their likelihood to be recidivists and their […]
BOP Rolls Out Final Piece of First Step Act
Congress passed the First Step Act in December 2018. Things come to those who wait. Sometimes good things, sometimes… meh. What was the First Step Act about, anyway It was the first significant criminal justice legislation in 30 years or so. The public relations centerpiece of the Act was a program to be implemented by the Bureau of […]
Super Bowl Trump Ad Sparks Clemency Debate
President Donald Trump’s Super Bowl ad featuring former federal inmate Alice Johnson fired off a storm of argument last week, about clemency and sentencing reform. But the stats and the stories hardly suggest any change in the broken is coming very soon. Under the Constitution, the President of the United States has the virtually unreviewable […]
The Beginning of a Federal Prison Journey
My journey with the federal justice system started on June 24, 2019. On that day, I was served a 21-count indictment for a crime I helped commit 5 years prior to the indictment. It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that this indeed was a crime. I will go […]
Indictment: The Shock and Solution
I wasn’t sure what to do after my indictment. I really wish there was a resource I could have used to help me through this process. I hope this blog post provides some level of comfort, and acts a guide as to how to handle the immediate consequences of an indictment. I’m using my own […]
Welcome to Lewisburg Federal Prison Camp
Self Surrender Day – Lewisburg USP In this post, I will describe Lewisburg USP – satellite camp – Self Surrender Day I was in the driver’s side passenger seat of the car. My father was driving, and my mother was in the back. We took the right turn into the Lewisburg USP. I looked out […]
Lewisburg Federal Prison Camp – Daily Routine
I’m often asked about my daily routine in prison, so I thought I would write an article to describe it. My routine does not change, as I believe that repetition leads to personal and physical improvement. Keep in mind that we are currently in a modified lock down, as much of the camp remains closed. […]