First Step Act
2018–ongoing
Verified 21 May 2026 · Data dated 21 May 2026
Fresh · 8d ago
Bipartisan federal legislation that reduced mandatory minimums for some drug offences, expanded earned-time credits for participation in rehabilitative programmes, and retroactively applied the Fair Sentencing Act's crack/powder cocaine disparity reduction.
Outcomes
By 2024, over 30,000 federal prisoners had been released early under the Act, with low recidivism. The Trump administration that signed it also presided over its first years of implementation; expansion is contested.
Organisations involved
- The Sentencing Project
US advocacy and research non-profit working to end mass incarceration and racial disparities in the justice system.
Sources
Last verified 21 May 2026. This is editorial; we hand-curate this section. Spotted an error? Submit a correction.