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As we complete our final edits on our book and prepare to publish in May, I selected two fellow inmates to be our first participants to read the final draft and work through the A Better Tomorrow (ABT) program—all 270 single-sided pages, including the appendix.

In early January 2026, GEO issued an internal memorandum announcing “Enhanced Electronic Monitoring Procedures” for all individuals in prerelease custody at Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs) operating under contract with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). According to the memorandum, these new procedures take effect January 12, 2026, and will remain in place through July 1, 2026, as part of what GEO describes as a pilot program to evaluate accountability and compliance with contr

A Better Tomorrow extends sincere kudos to BOP Director Marshall and Assistant Director Smith for their renewed focus and measurable progress toward proper implementation of the First Step Act (FSA) across the Bureau of Prisons. Over the past six months, I have personally observed a significant improvement in the accuracy of FSA Worksheets—particularly regarding projected placement dates—both in my own case and for many other incarcerated individuals.

At A Better Tomorrow (ABT) Community, we often hear from incarcerated individuals and their families who are hoping compassionate release might provide a path home when serious medical or family circumstances arise. While compassionate release can offer relief in limited situations, recent court decisions show that it remains difficult to obtain—especially when claims are based on inadequate medical care in federal prison.

At A Better Tomorrow (ABT) Community, we are dedicated to helping justice-impacted individuals prepare for a successful life after incarceration. We believe reentry success does not begin on release day — it begins during incarceration, continues through pre-release custody, and extends well into life after reentry.

In our first two blog posts, we explained the different types of time credits and how to calculate your reduced sentence using them. As we saw, these credits can produce meaningful reductions in incarceration time. In many cases, an inmate might serve 45–60% of their sentence in prison, 20–30% in prerelease custody, and receive a 15–25% total reduction in sentence length.

After spending 20 months in federal prison, listening to fellow inmates and reflecting on my own experience, one thing became clear: too many justice-impacted Americans — along with their families and even their attorneys — don’t fully understand their rights or the opportunities available to earn time credits. These credits can significantly reduce the time a person spends behind bars.

This update builds on Part III of my How to Fight for Your Credits series, originally published in November 2024. Since then, a lot has changed — including the results of a national election and the arrival of a new presidential administration. Here’s what matters most for anyone tracking their First Step Act (FSA) time credits...

At A Better Tomorrow (ABT), we’re hopeful that newly appointed Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Billy Williams III and Assistant Director Joshua Smith will successfully lead a true transformation of the BOP — with the full support and guidance of Attorney General Pam Bondi. As ABT recently reported, Director Williams has already taken major steps toward full-scale implementation of the First Step Act (FSA) across wardens and their staff nationwide.

When someone has served their sentence and returned home, the journey of reentry should be about rebuilding—not reliving the past. The Clean Slate Initiative is a national bipartisan coalition working to ensure that people who have completed their sentences are not permanently held back by their past.

In California, incarcerated people have long served as the invisible backbone of our wildfire response system. For just a few dollars a day — sometimes as little as $2 — they’ve risked their lives on the frontlines, cutting fire lines, breathing toxic smoke, and battling back flames to protect communities they weren’t even allowed to return to after release.

For those of us who have lived through incarceration and now work every day to support others transitioning back into society, the First Step Act (FSA) represented more than a new law—it symbolized hope. Passed in 2018, the FSA promised to shrink the federal prison population, reward rehabilitation, and give people a real shot at redemption. But in the years since, we’ve seen that promise fall short—time and time again. Like many of you, I’ve seen the toll delays and misma

At A Better Tomorrow, we believe in second chances. We believe that the worst day in someone’s life should never define the rest of it. And today, we’re celebrating a story that proves just how powerful redemption can be. Joshua Smith, once incarcerated in a federal prison, has just been appointed Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). For the first time in the Bureau’s history, someone who has lived on the inside will now help lead from the top.

At some point in life, we all need a second chance. Whether it's a mistake made in youth, a wrong turn taken during hardship, or a decision that led to consequences none of us could have foreseen, the truth remains: no one should be judged forever by the worst thing they’ve ever done.

Leaving prison is a life-changing moment—but it’s not the end of the journey. It’s the beginning of your reentry. Whether you’ve served a short sentence or many years, adjusting to life on the outside can be overwhelming. The first days and weeks after release are often the most critical—and the most challenging. This guide breaks down what to expect after release, what steps to take, and how A Better Tomorrow (ABT Community) is here to help.

Finding work after incarceration can feel like climbing a mountain without a map. Even with strong motivation and job skills, people with criminal records often face rejection, background check barriers, and a stigma that never seems to fade. But here’s the truth: you are not alone, and there are real strategies that work. At A Better Tomorrow (ABT Community), we believe employment is a cornerstone of successful reentry.

For many people leaving prison, credit is either nonexistent or badly damaged. Without credit, getting housing, buying a car, starting a phone plan, or even applying for a job can be incredibly difficult. But the good news is that credit isn’t permanent—it can be rebuilt. At A Better Tomorrow (ABT Community), we help formerly incarcerated individuals take control of their finances and build strong credit histories. In this blog, we break down exactly where to start.

For incarcerated individuals, education can be the key that unlocks opportunity—not just upon release, but while serving time. While digital learning may not be available in most prisons, correspondence education by mail remains a powerful and accessible tool for earning a college degree from behind bars. At A Better Tomorrow (ABT Community), we believe in the life-changing power of education.

Every day, thousands of people return home from incarceration, ready to work—but unable to find employers willing to give them a shot. For businesses, this means missing out on motivated, loyal, and often highly skilled workers. At A Better Tomorrow (ABT Community), we work with justice-impacted individuals and the employers who hire them. In this blog, we’ll explain why second chance hiring isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a smart business decision.

Coming home from prison is more than walking out of a cell—it’s stepping into a world that has changed, with expectations, pressure, and obstacles that can quickly overwhelm. Many returning citizens have the will to succeed but lack the support to do it. At A Better Tomorrow (ABT Community), we believe that reentry is only successful when people are given the tools, opportunities, and human connection to rebuild their lives.