“You’re no longer eligible to participate in RDAP,” the staff psychologist declared. Immediately, several thoughts began racing along with many questions. She continued, “You no longer have enough time to complete the program.” While she stated the obvious, I wish this epiphany would’ve enlightened the staff before I was transferred to Texas. I am ecstatic to have acknowledgment from staff that my time of incarceration is closer to the end than the beginning (over the hill). Throughout the past few years, I’ve attempted to clarify the Bureau of Prisons credits and time calculations as they apply to the average inmate according to the First Step and Second Chance Acts. It was only a year ago that the calculations were shared with us to help prepare for planning. My time calculation estimated that August 2025 would be my pre-release timeframe, or the time that I would be able to spend in halfway house and home confinement. In one scenario of having completed RDAP at the onset of my sentence about 30 months ago, then I would have been eligible for halfway house in August of 2024. Two months ago, I had an estimated pre-release timeframe of August 2025, which has now been zeroed due to internal political bureaucracy. That’s how the cookie crumbles.
As referenced in early April, some lower wrung leaders in the BOP limited some time credits. After much pressure from lawsuits and loved ones raising Cain, the issue was immediately fixed a week later. The internal politics continued when the new BOP Director was named and issued a press release at the end of May indicating that more home confinement time would be made available, then shots fired back from regional offices which indicated time credits would be limited, even though the press release emphasized no limits. I’m stuck in the cross-fire as a political pawn, since my August 2025 date has been taken away, which now shows that I am eligible for pre-release in September of 2026. Sheesh, lots of dates and back mundane arguments. It appears that the newly hired deputy director for operations caused a riff since he was a former inmate! A lot of staff refuse to take orders from a former inmate; thus, the cycle of internal political turmoil continues.
It’s an amazing journey to even be in the federal prison and endure the chaos of transferring to another prison. Of course irony makes itself known. I spent years waiting to complete RDAP in Morgantown, then transferred to Texas to complete RDAP only to be told that I don’t have enough time, then told that I would have enough time but that was signed out of the program. All 11 of us, who transferred from Morgantown, were told that we did not have enough time to complete the program and were signed out of the program…another example of government’s spending waste to transport prisoners for nearly a month. The right hand truly doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.
Some good news: While I will not be able to participate in RDAP, I am happy to fill the void with a new job in the Electric Department, just like I had in Morgantown. Additional to the job, I will be enrolled in the electrician apprenticeship program with all my time credits of nearly 6,000 hours of the required 8,000 clocked hours that I earned in Morgantown. I am happy to continue working and earning apprenticeship hours, while I wait for the great powers to figure out the next moves. I wouldn’t have such a positive outlook if it weren’t for the amazing support and encouragement from some many loved ones throughout these 31 months. I am eternally grateful and overwhelmed by this incredible positivity. I would ask for much of your positivity and prayers to now focus on our world, especially the local civil unrest with the immigration protests and the onset of war between Israel and Iran. Too many unnecessary casualties and innocent lives are being lost. I hope you have a really amazing week as summer will officially kick-off. Please continue to be mindful of any little miracle in your life 🙂