What Programs at FPC Alderson Award Time Credits Under the First Step Act?

The First Step Act lets people earn time credits by completing certain Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction (EBRR) programs. At FPC Alderson, some programs are facility-specific - like Assert Yourself for Female Offenders - while others are Bureau-wide offerings available at all BOP institutions, including Anger Management and Basic Cognitive Skills. The bottom line: if your loved one enrolls in and completes an eligible EBRR program, those hours may count toward time credits.

Assert Yourself for Female Offenders is an EBRR program at FPC Alderson that awards 8 hours of program credit. It focuses on building pro-social assertiveness skills through practice and between-session work - more hands-on than lecture-style.

Anger Management awards 18 hours of EBRR program credits and is available at all BOP institutions, making it a realistic option at FPC Alderson. The program emphasizes interactive practice and homework - skills stick better when participants actually use them between sessions. One detail matters for time-credit purposes: Anger Management must be delivered by Psychology Services staff to count. If the program is being run by someone else, it's worth asking whether completion will still be recorded as EBRR credit.

Basic Cognitive Skills awards 24 hours of EBRR program credits and is available at all BOP institutions. It builds core thinking skills and serves as a foundation for other cognitive-behavioral programs like Emotional Self-Regulation and Criminal Thinking. Like Anger Management, who delivers it matters. Basic Cognitive Skills must be delivered by Psychology Services staff to count toward time credits.

The program name alone doesn't guarantee credit - who delivers it also matters. The Bureau's program guide ties "program fidelity and proper credit" to specific delivery requirements that vary by program. Anger Management and Basic Cognitive Skills must be delivered by Psychology Services staff. Assert Yourself for Female Offenders has different requirements: a Social Worker, the Special Populations Program Coordinator, or Unit Team Staff can facilitate it. If your loved one is enrolled in one of these programs, ask who's running it. That detail can affect whether the completion counts toward time credits.

• ✓ For Anger Management, confirm it’s being delivered by Psychology Services staff (this is tied to proper credit).
• ✓ For Basic Cognitive Skills, confirm it’s being delivered by Psychology Services staff (this is tied to proper credit).
• ✓ For Assert Yourself for Female Offenders, confirm it’s being delivered by a Social Worker, Special Populations Program Coordinator, or Unit Team Staff (this is tied to proper credit).
• ✓ When you call or message, ask two things: the program name and who is facilitating it - both matter for EBRR credit.

Even when a program is listed for a facility or available Bureau-wide, availability shifts. Classes rotate, staffing changes, and not every group runs continuously. The best approach is to ask what's currently scheduled at FPC Alderson, whether there's a waitlist, and how completion gets documented for First Step Act time credits.

1. Ask what’s running right now at FPC Alderson - Have your loved one check with their Unit Team about whether Assert Yourself for Female Offenders is currently scheduled, and whether Anger Management and Basic Cognitive Skills are available.
2. Confirm who is delivering the program - For Anger Management and Basic Cognitive Skills, ask whether Psychology Services is running the group; for Assert Yourself, ask whether it’s being run by a Social Worker, Special Populations Program Coordinator, or Unit Team Staff.
3. Escalate the question if the answer is unclear - If staff can’t tell you whether a specific class will earn EBRR credit, keep the question focused on the program’s official delivery requirement and how completion will be recorded.