How much time off do you get for RDAP?
For eligible nonviolent offenders, completing RDAP reduces the sentence by up to 12 months under 18 U.S.C. § 3621(e)(2)(B). BOP policy tiers the maximum by sentence length: up to 6 months off for sentences of 30 months or less, up to 9 months for 31–36 months, and up to 12 months for 37 months or longer. RDAP graduates also spend the last months in community treatment (TDAT) at a halfway house or home confinement, so time inside a prison falls further still.
Reviewed against 18 U.S.C. § 3621(e), 28 C.F.R. § 550.55, and BOP Program Statement 5331.02 (Early Release Procedures). Last updated .
The early-release tiers
| Sentence imposed | Maximum early release |
|---|---|
| ≤ 30 months | up to 6 months |
| 31–36 months | up to 9 months |
| ≥ 37 months | up to 12 months |
"Up to" matters: the actual reduction can be trimmed by late program entry (the release date can't move earlier than program completion plus community treatment) — one more reason waitlist timing matters.
Worked example
60-month sentence, RDAP-eligible drug offense, low PATTERN
- GCT alone projects release at ~51 months.
- FSA credits (365-day cap toward supervised release) → ~39 months.
- § 3621(e) reduction of up to 12 months moves the date again.
- Final months are served in TDAT at an RRC or home confinement.
- Time inside a federal prison can land near half the imposed sentence.
Who loses the reduction despite finishing the program?
- Convictions BOP classifies as violent or otherwise excluded under 28 C.F.R. § 550.55(b) — including drug offenses with a firearm enhancement.
- A prior conviction for homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, kidnapping, or sexual abuse of a minor.
- People who received § 3621(e) release on an earlier sentence.
- Failure to complete community-based treatment (TDAT).
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The free OutDate calculator applies these rules to a real sentence — Good Conduct Time, First Step Act credits, halfway house and RDAP dates — with every assumption listed next to the answer. No account needed; nothing is stored.
Open the federal release date calculatorFrequently asked questions
Is the RDAP year off automatic after graduation?
No — it's discretionary under § 3621(e) and conditioned on eligibility screening and completing all phases including community treatment. Provisional eligibility is determined at admission, and BOP can deny or reduce the benefit within policy.
Does a gun enhancement disqualify RDAP time off?
A sentencing enhancement for firearm possession on a drug offense typically disqualifies the § 3621(e) early release under 28 C.F.R. § 550.55, even though the person can still take RDAP for treatment and earn First Step Act credits from it. Circuit law on the exclusion's reach has varied — verify current law.
How long is the RDAP waitlist?
It varies by institution — commonly several months. BOP sequences admissions by proximity to release, so a long waitlist mostly threatens late entry, which can shrink the effective reduction. Facility-level availability is listed on our facility pages.
Primary sources
Everything on this page is drawn from the statutes, regulations, and BOP program statements below — read them directly:
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Estimates, not promises
This page describes federal law and Bureau of Prisons policy in general terms for education. It is not legal advice, it doesn't account for the facts of any individual case, and no attorney–client relationship is created by reading it. The BOP makes all final release-date determinations. Have an attorney review anything before you file it. Built by OutDate, the federal release date calculator.