What You Need to Know About Time Credits to Reduce Your Sentence

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 post is the first in a series that will explain how time credits work, share strategies to maximize them, and offer insight into how to ensure you receive what you’re rightfully due.

At A Better Tomorrow, we believe this is one of the most important topics for incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. Time credits not only affect the total length of your sentence, but also determine what percentage of your time is served in prison versus reentry or pre-release custody — such as halfway house placement or home confinement.

Ideally, through sentence reductions and pre-release programs, you could serve as little as 40–50% of your total sentence behind bars. I wish I had understood this during my plea discussions — and I’ve met many people inside who feel the same way.

This first article lays the foundation by explaining the four key programs that influence sentence reductions and pre-release opportunities:

1. Good Time Credits (GTCs)

These are automatic sentence reductions worth up to 15% off your total sentence. They are applied as soon as you are sentenced and begin custody (either immediately or upon self-surrender). However, they can be reduced for disciplinary infractions — typically 27 days for minor incidents or 54 days for serious ones. The good news is that GTCs can often be reinstated after two years of good behavior and no new disciplinary issues.

2. Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP)

If you qualify and successfully complete RDAP, you can receive up to one year off your sentence. Eligibility is determined by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and it helps if your Pre-sentence Investigation Report (PSR) documents a history of substance use. RDAP is a one-year program requiring roughly 500 hours of classes and counseling, housed at designated facilities based on your security level.

It’s important to apply early — you must have enough time remaining on your sentence to complete the program before your pre-release period begins. RDAP is often the most valuable single program for sentence reduction, so be proactive about applying.

3. Second Chance Act (SCA)

While this program doesn’t reduce your total sentence, it can increase the amount of time you spend in pre-release custody (halfway house or home confinement). The BOP determines eligibility using a five-factor review. The maximum benefit is 12 months in a halfway house or 6 months of home confinement.

The five review factors include:

• Halfway house availability

• Court statements regarding sentencing recommendations

• Nature and circumstances of the offense

• U.S. Sentencing Commission policies

• Prisoner’s history and characteristics

  
  

Although this program is discretionary, advocating for yourself and maintaining good institutional behavior can improve your chances.

4. First Step Act (FSA)

The First Step Act offers two major benefits:

1. Up to 12 months off your sentence, and

2. An increased portion of time served in pre-release custody.

   
   

Combined, these benefits can reduce up to 50% of your remaining sentence after applying GTCs and other reductions.

Eligibility depends on your conviction type. It’s critical to work with your attorney during plea negotiations to ensure you qualify. For example, certain drug offenses involving firearms (under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b) or 18 U.S.C. § 924(g)) make you ineligible. When possible, negotiate for charges under § 841(a) or § 922(g) instead, which remain eligible for FSA benefits.

If eligible, you can earn 10 or 15 days of Earned Time Credits (ETCs) per month — effectively reducing your sentence by one-third to one-half. To earn these credits, you must participate in approved FSA programs and Productive Activities (PAs). These include classes, religious services, inmate work assignments, or volunteering (such as teaching a course in personal finance or technology).

The first 365 days of ETCs apply directly to sentence reduction, while additional credits count toward pre-release custody. For example, earning 500 ETCs would give you 500 days of halfway house or home confinement.

In our next post, we’ll dive deeper into how the Bureau of Prisons calculates these credits — and the common challenges inmates face ensuring the BOP honors them correctly. Hopefully, with the new BOP leadership’s commitment to fully implementing the First Step Act, these disputes will soon become a thing of the past.

Sources and References

1. Good Time Credits (GTCs)

   • 18 U.S.C. § 3624(b) — Governs the calculation of good time credits for federal prisoners.

   • Bureau of Prisons Program Statement 5880.28, Sentence Computation Manual (CCCA of 1984).

2. Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP)

   • 18 U.S.C. § 3621(e) — Authorizes sentence reduction for successful completion of a residential substance abuse program.

   • Bureau of Prisons Program Statement 5330.11, Psychology Treatment Programs (March 16, 2009).

3. Second Chance Act (SCA)

   • Second Chance Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110-199, 122 Stat. 657 (codified in part at 18 U.S.C. §§ 3621(b), 3624(c)).

   • Bureau of Prisons Program Statement 7310.04, Community Corrections Center (CCC) Utilization and Transfer Procedures.

4. First Step Act (FSA)

   • First Step Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-391, 132 Stat. 5194 (codified in scattered sections of 18 U.S.C. and 34 U.S.C.).

   • Bureau of Prisons, First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (updated 2024).

   • U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons: First Step Act Implementation Update (2023).