Early Release: The First Step Program in Federal Prisons

Early release, which means a shorter term, is one of the main advantages of participating in the First Step program. Prisoners who meet the criteria set out in the program and have undergone rehabilitation are entitled to be released from prison before their sentence is completed (Krent, 2021). This release helps to reduce the prison population and thus the size and number of federal prisons, while not compromising public safety. The United States Department of Justice is the agency that implemented the law at the first stage and continues to make improvements in the form of amendments.

The rationale for the selected program is an effort to improve criminal justice outcomes, reduce time spent in federal prisons, and preserve public safety. The intended outcomes of the selected criminal justice program include the development and implementation of a risk and needs assessment system for each inmate in the Bureau of Prisons to help determine the risk of reoffending. As previously the assessment of future threats was based on expert opinion, the purpose of this system is now relevant and valuable (Krent, 2021). It is to ensure objectivity, statistical control and be based on variables that may change during the prisoner’s stay in the institution. The result of the program should be the provision of targeted treatment aimed at reducing the risk of reoffending and the tracking of reductions in risk of reoffending over time.

The chosen program is based on the analysis of data on probable risks and focuses on reducing the risk of reoffending after release. One of the key elements of the FSA is the Prisoner Assessment Tool Targeting Estimated Risk and Needs (PATTERN) (Skeem & Monahan, 2020). This is an analysis of the needs and risks of each individual prisoner, taking into account statistical data, such as the nature of the crime or substance use. The probability of a prisoner’s recidivism is determined after the analysis of objective data. If the risk of reoffending is found to be low, the prisoner is sent to a rehabilitation program, after which he or she is likely to be released early.

This policy solves the problem of criminal justice by providing security and improving the economy. It helps not only to determine the availability or unavailability of early release, but also the amount of bail, assign the term of imprisonment and the type of prison (Krent, 2021). Implementation of rehabilitation contributes to reduced recidivism, according to the report of the First Step Act (U.S. Department of Justice, 2023). The economy can improve with fewer incarcerations and fewer prisons. Although there are currently no concrete successful outcomes related to cost reductions, they are most likely to be in the future as costs have decreased compared to the baseline scenario (U.S. Department of Justice, 2023). In addition, a policy of focusing attention and resources on prisoners with the greatest propensity to reoffend is the most effective from an economic and security point of view.

Incorrect assessment of any of the “objective factors” of the risk of relapse can have negative consequences. Considering the case of a person imprisoned for a violent crime, it can be predicted that their condition will be assessed in order to determine the probability of a repeat crime. Assessing factors and misdiagnosing drug dependence and then focusing rehabilitation on that factor will not reduce the risk of relapse (Skeem & Monahan, 2020). This will only lead to costs and the false identification of a prisoner as having a “low risk of recidivism”. The case was handled by law enforcement agencies, which collected and presented evidence of the prisoner’s guilt. The Department of Justice and other federal agencies ensure fair treatment of prisoners.

Efforts were focused on risk assessment and further reduction, but misdiagnosis of drug addiction caused negative consequences. The criteria for evaluation should be defined and approved, and the evaluation should be carried out more meticulously. In addition, it is necessary to rationally manage resources and provide rehabilitation to people who need it and make sure that they have undergone rehabilitation successfully and with a noticeable effect (Skeem & Monahan, 2020). Criminal justice professionals in this case failed to manage the risks effectively because after parole, the convict returned to crime and was convicted again.

Neither root cause analysis nor analysis of cause-and-effect factors was used, but a questionnaire system common to all was used. The factors that exist in this system are objective, but as the case showed, an incorrect assessment of any of them leads to unjustified early dismissal, while the definition of the root problem would be more accurate. According to the considered case, the First Step Act should be called ineffective. In general, the idea of identifying those most prone to the risk of relapse and their further rehabilitation is formed and thought out. However, in practice, not all convicts are able to undergo rehabilitation (Skeem & Monahan, 2020). In addition, the person convicted of a violent crime in the considered case underwent rehabilitation, which did not bring results, as it was not carried out in accordance with his needs. Therefore, the goals set by the program in the form of ensuring security and reducing the number of convicts were not implemented in this case.

References

Krent, J. (2021). The First Step Act – Constitucionalizing Prison Release Policies. SSRN. Web.

Skeem, J. L., & Monahan, J. (2020). Lost in translation: “Risks,” “needs,” and “evidence” in implementing the First Step Act. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 38(3), 287–297. Web.

U.S. Department of Justice. (2023). First Step Act Annual Report. In Office of Justice Programs. Web.