Training Session: What Is the First Step Act, Anyway?

Do you have any former clients in federal prison? Do you have any current clients who may one day be sent to federal prison? Has your phone been ringing off the hook as current and former clients and their families ask questions about the “new law”? Would you like to hear more about that new law, a statute filled with 60 pages of jargon and fine print? If so, you have come to the right place. We at the Federal Defender Program will conduct a training session on the First Step Act on February 14, 2019. Click here to sign up.

A quick summary: In late December, Congress passed the First Step Act. The Act offers useful and positive, if modest, changes for our clients—past, present, and future. The law amends a handful of harsh sentencing provisions, including 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), 21 U.S.C. § 851, crack-cocaine penalties, and safety valve. The law also repairs the broken compassionate release regime, ramps up good-time and other credits, and requires the BOP to implement more inmate-centric policies.

The Federal Defender Program will soon offer a fun, useful primer on the Act. On February 14, 2019, we will host a two-hour training session filled with good cheer and holiday treats. We promise you will leave here ready to conquer the post-First Step Act world.

You may sign up for the training session by clicking on the link here. If you have any questions about the training session or the Act, please call Natasha Silas, Matthew Dodge, or Nicole Kaplan at (404) 688-7530. We are here to help.