The First Step Act Could Be Essential in Helping to Reduce Your Jail Time if You Have Been Convicted of Certain Federal Crimes

The First Step Act Could Be Essential in Helping to Reduce Your Jail Time if You Have Been Convicted of Certain Federal Crimes

The First Step Act was passed in 2019 and has changed how federal sentencing works and how the Federal Bureau of Prisons has to administer justice and deal with inmates. There are many aspects and we will only be covering a few of them in this blog.

If you are more interested in what all of the changes are, you can simply Google “First Step Act” to learn more. If you are facing federal criminal charges, you can contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 for a free legal consultation.

One of the biggest changes brought by the First Step Act

One of the biggest ways the First Step Act has had an impact is in the way it’s changed the way inmates can earn work credits. Previously, federal law held that defendants had to serve almost all of their sentence and had very few opportunities to reduce their time served by learning a vocation or completing certain rehabilitative programs.

Under the First Step Act, Congress has authorized the funding of programs that can help people who are incarcerated to learn a trade and complete other positive activities that could potentially help reduce recidivism.

The First Step Act expanded the number of people who are eligible for federal safety valve exceptions

Before the First Step Act, a person convicted of a non-violent federal drug charge would face mandatory minimum sentences of five or ten years, depending on the crime. Thanks to changes in the First Step Act, people who meet certain criteria – such as having little to no criminal history and not having committed any violence during the commission of their drug crime – can petition to have those minimums dropped.

Contact an experienced federal defense attorney today to learn more

If you are facing a federal charge, you are surely scared, worried, and not sure of what to do next. There is help out there for you. Contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 for a free legal consultation. We will take the time to understand the specifics of your case. We will go over the potential defense options, discuss the First Step Act and other applicable changes to the law, and give you an overview of what your options are.

 

 

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