Redemption of Frank Fernandez

Frank Fernandez was 34-years-old when he began serving his prison sentence. That was back in 1993. He had been convicted of transporting drugs. It was his first serious drug offense, and his judge hammered him with a 210-month sentence. Feeling dazed when the judge slammed his hammer down on the bench, as if he’d received […]

Prison Camps Waste Taxpayer Resources

President Obama has repeatedly said that under his administration, leaders will evaluate the effectiveness of every government agency and program. Those that provide useful services to society will received appropriate resources, and those that fail will undergo reforms. I know the economy, the war efforts, foreign policy, energy, and health care take priority. As long-term […]

New Prisoners Ought to Understand Security Level Classifications

Prisoners who are new to the system should understand how their behavior can influence their security-level classification. Such an understanding can help them adjust in manners that will allow them to serve their sentences in the least-restrictive environments possible. Unfortunately, many prisoners make decisions in the camp that result in their moving to higher-security prisons. […]

Should Prisoners Request Specific Prison Camp Placements?

Eric wrote me asking whether it was beneficial to request the court to recommend a specific prison where the defendant could serve his sentence. He wanted to know whether the Bureau of Prisons would honor such requests. If the BOP did honor judicial recommendations, Eric wanted to know whether any Federal Prison Camps were worth […]