FSA Calculator Guide: How First Step Act Time Credits Work

Educational guide · Updated 2026

What are First Step Act (FSA) time credits?

The First Step Act of 2018 lets eligible federal inmates earn Federal Time Credits (FTCs) by completing Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction (EBRR) programs and Productive Activities (PAs) approved by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Credits reduce the amount of time spent in a BOP facility by moving eligible inmates earlier to prerelease custody (home confinement or a Residential Reentry Center) or, in some cases, to supervised release.

How many days can you earn?

10 days of FSA credit for every 30 days of successful EBRR/PA participation.
15 days per 30 if you are assessed as minimum or low risk of recidivism on two consecutive PATTERN assessments and have not increased in risk level.
Credits accrue only while an inmate is successfully participating — refusal, sanctions, or being placed in certain custody statuses can pause accrual.

Who is eligible?

Most federal inmates can earn FSA credits, but the statute (18 U.S.C. § 3632(d)(4)(D)) lists roughly 68 offenses that make an inmate ineligible to apply credits toward early release — including certain terrorism, sex, violence, and large-scale drug convictions. Inmates with a final order of removal (ICE detainers) also cannot apply credits toward prerelease custody. Even ineligible inmates may still earn other incentives (commissary, phone, visiting).

How BOP applies credits to your release date

Once earned, credits are applied in two ways:

Up to 12 months can be applied toward supervised release — meaning the inmate leaves BOP custody up to a year earlier than the statutory release date.
Additional credits push the inmate into prerelease custody (home confinement or an RRC/halfway house) for the remainder of the sentence.

Credits are applied on top of Good Conduct Time (GCT), which is a separate 54-days-per-year reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3624(b). Together, FSA credits and GCT can substantially shorten actual time in custody compared with the raw sentence imposed at the federal court in Baton Rouge, Alexandria, or anywhere else in the Middle District of Louisiana.

A quick FSA calculator example

An inmate serving 60 months, assessed as low risk throughout, participating continuously in EBRR/PA programming:

Good Conduct Time: ~270 days (54 × 5 years).
FSA credits at 15/30: up to ~900 days earned over the sentence.
First 365 FSA days applied to supervised release; the balance moves the inmate to home confinement or an RRC.

Actual results depend on PATTERN score changes, program availability, disciplinary history, and BOP policy updates. Use BOP's FSA Time Credit Assessment (available through your case manager) for your personal calculation.

How this connects to sentencing

FSA credits do not change the sentence a judge imposes — they change how much of that sentence is served inside a BOP facility. That means the estimator on our homepage still gives you a realistic guideline range, and FSA credits are the second half of the picture: how much of that time you'd actually spend behind the fence.

Talk to a federal defense attorney

FSA eligibility, PATTERN scoring, and credit application are technical and change often. If you or a loved one is facing federal charges in the Middle District of Louisiana, a federal defense attorney can review the specific offense, criminal history, and programming options.

Estimate a federal sentence and get connected with an attorney →

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