BOP Director launches First Step Act Task Force

This press release from the Buraeu of Prisons earlier this week reports on a notable development inside the BOP.  The heading of the press release provides the basics: “Director Marshall Launches FSA Task Force: New Initiative to Tackle Delays, Equip Staff with Tools to Deliver Timely FSA Results.”  And here is more from the text of the press release:

Since the beginning of his tenure, Director William K. Marshall III has made it clear: leadership must be visible, accountable, and responsive.  From walking the compounds to talking directly with frontline staff and inmates, Director Marshall has stayed true to his word — delivering results rooted in what he learns during those face-to-face conversations.  The Bureau of Prisons’ latest initiative, the FSA Task Force, is a direct outcome of that leadership style.

As Director Marshall traveled to institutions across the country, a pattern emerged.  Inmates voiced frustration that their paperwork for home confinement under the First Step Act (FSA) wasn’t being processed by staff despite Director Marshall’s directive to maximize the use of community placement.  But at the same time, the staff told a very different side of the story.

“The staff told me the systems they rely on weren’t always showing the right dates,” said Director Marshall.  “The majority of staff were doing their best with the information they had, but, unfortunately, they were taking the blame from inmates and families who thought they were dragging their feet.  That wasn’t fair to them.”

In response, Director Marshall mobilized a solution: a dedicated task force at the Designation and Sentence Computation Center (DSCC) to assist the Bureau’s Residential Reentry Management (RRM) offices by manually identifying and correcting community placement dates.  This effort will alleviate pressure on institution staff while ensuring that eligible inmates are transferred to community confinement as soon as possible.

“We’re giving our staff the backup they need and the accurate data they deserve,” Director Marshall said.  “They shouldn’t have to answer for delays that were outside their control; and thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we will be able to provide the right tools and information the staff need to do their jobs. But let me be clear — while most of our staff are committed professionals working in good faith, we know there are a small number who do not meet that standard.  If they ignored their responsibilities or failed to act with integrity, we will find out and we will take action.  Accountability goes both ways.”

The task force will:

• Identify individuals currently in Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs) who are eligible for home confinement;
• Manually calculate home confinement placement dates which “stacks” both the FSA and Second Chance Act (SCA);
• Relay those dates to RRM offices to accelerate transitions and free up RRC bed space;
• Review eligible incarcerated individuals inside institutions for additional community placement opportunities.