How First Step Act Time Credits Work for Loved Ones at FCI Oxford

First Step Act time credits (often called FTCs) are days earned through program participation that can be applied toward prerelease custody - and in some cases, toward supervised release. Here's what families often miss: earning credits and being allowed to use them aren't the same thing. Whether someone can apply what they've earned depends on eligibility rules, including their recidivism risk level. There's also a hard cap: no more than 365 days can be applied toward supervised release.

The baseline earning rate is simple: eligible individuals in "opt-in status" earn 10 days of FTCs for every 30 days in that status. The clock doesn't run just because time passes - those credits are tied to being opt-in.

Some people earn faster. If your loved one has a low or minimum PATTERN risk level for two consecutive assessments, they earn an extra 5 days per 30 days - 15 days total for every 30 in opt-in status. That "two in a row" detail matters. Ask when their last two PATTERN assessments were scored and what risk level each one showed.

Here's the gatekeeper rule: only people with a low or minimum recidivism risk level can apply their earned FTCs. Your loved one might be earning credits steadily, but actually using them toward earlier release depends on that risk level.

Using FTCs toward supervised release comes with two conditions and a cap. Your loved one must have a period of supervised release after incarceration, and they can't have a final order of deportation or removal. Even then, the maximum that can be applied is 365 days.

FTCs are mainly about getting someone into prerelease custody sooner. For some people, they can also shorten the time before supervised release begins. The supervised release application is capped at 365 days and only applies when the person will actually serve supervised release and doesn't have a final deportation or removal order.

You'll hear "opt-in status" a lot - it's directly tied to earning. Eligible individuals earn 10 days of FTCs for every 30 days in opt-in status. Those with two consecutive low or minimum PATTERN assessments earn 15 days per 30. Opt-in status also brings programming perks. One families notice right away: additional monthly phone minutes.

Practical Steps

• ✓ Ask your loved one (or have them ask their unit team) whether they are currently in opt-in status.
• ✓ Confirm their current PATTERN risk level, since only low or minimum risk individuals may apply earned FTCs.
• ✓ Ask how many FTC days they’ve earned so far (10 days per 30 days in opt-in status, or 15 days per 30 days after two consecutive low/minimum PATTERN assessments).
• ✓ Ask whether any FTCs have been applied yet, and if so, whether they were applied toward prerelease custody or toward supervised release (up to the 365-day cap).
• ✓ If you need general clarification about the First Step Act or the guide itself, email the Bureau’s Reentry Services Division (RSD) at FSA@BOP.GOV.

Questions to Ask

• ✓ What is my loved one’s current PATTERN risk level (high, medium, low, or minimum)?
• ✓ Is my loved one currently in opt-in status?
• ✓ How many FTC days have been earned so far at the 10-days-per-30-days rate?
• ✓ If they have two consecutive low or minimum PATTERN assessments, has the earning rate been updated to 15 days per 30 days in opt-in status?
• ✓ Is my loved one eligible to apply earned FTCs right now (low or minimum risk), or are they only earning them?
• ✓ Can you provide documentation or a printout showing PATTERN risk level and FTC totals?

When something doesn't add up - credits not showing, confusion about risk level, or questions about how the First Step Act works - start by getting the basics confirmed: opt-in status, PATTERN risk level, and the current FTC total. For general questions about the First Step Act or the BOP's guide, contact the Bureau's Reentry Services Division at FSA@BOP.GOV.