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First Step Act

FSA Earned Time Credit calculator

Estimate how many days of Earned Time Credits (ETC) a federal inmate can accrue under the First Step Act, and how those credits translate into an earlier transfer to supervised release, halfway house, or home confinement.

Estimate your credits

PATTERN risk level
Total sentence
1826 days
Estimated ETC earned
731 days
Toward early release
365 days + 366 halfway

Educational estimate only. Actual FSA credits are determined by the Bureau of Prisons based on eligibility, PATTERN score reassessments, and program availability at the designated facility.

How FSA Earned Time Credits work

The First Step Act of 2018 lets eligible federal inmates earn time credits for completing evidence-based recidivism reduction (EBRR) programs and productive activities (PAs). Credits accrue for every 30 days of successful participation:

  • 10 days per 30 days for inmates at medium or high PATTERN risk.
  • 15 days per 30 days for inmates at minimum or low PATTERN risk who maintain that classification across two consecutive assessments.
  • Up to 365 days of credits can be applied toward early transfer to supervised release. Additional credits shift time to prerelease custody — halfway house (RRC) or home confinement.

Who is not eligible

18 U.S.C. § 3632(d)(4)(D) excludes many offenses from earning FSA credits, including most violent crimes, terrorism offenses, sex offenses, major drug trafficking leadership offenses, and certain firearm offenses. Excluded inmates can still complete programming for other BOP benefits, but not FSA credits toward release.

Next: estimate the sentence itself

FSA credits only apply after a federal sentence is imposed. Start with the guideline range for the offense.

Open the sentencing calculator →