How to get and read a BOP sentence computation sheet
The official record of a federal release date is the Sentence Monitoring Computation Data printout from BOP's SENTRY system — the person in custody can request it from their case manager or unit team at any time, free. The fields that matter most: Date Computation Began, Jail Credit, Expiration Full Term (EFT), projected Good Conduct Time, and Statutory Release Date (SRD) — plus the separate FSA Time Credit Assessment showing earned credits. Checking those five fields against the real custody history catches most computation errors families ever encounter.
Reviewed against BOP Program Statement 5880.28 (Sentence Computation Manual). Last updated .
Step by step
- 1 —
Request the printout
The incarcerated person asks their case manager or unit team for their 'Sentence Monitoring Computation Data' (and, if FSA-eligible, their 'FSA Time Credit Assessment'). Both are standard SENTRY printouts provided on request; no form is required.
- 2 —
Verify the start of the computation
Check 'Date Computation Began' against the date custody actually started for this sentence, and 'Jail Credit' date ranges against every period of pre-sentence detention.
- 3 —
Verify the term and full-term date
'Total Term in Effect' should match the Judgment (aggregated if there are multiple sentences). 'Expiration Full Term' should equal commencement plus that term.
- 4 —
Verify Good Conduct Time
Projected GCT should be 54 days per year of the sentence imposed, prorated for a partial final year. A figure near 47 days per year means a pre-2019 computation was never rerun — raise it immediately.
- 5 —
Check the FSA assessment
The FSA Time Credit Assessment lists credits earned to date, the earning rate (10 or 15 days per 30), and whether credits are being applied. Compare it with the eligibility rules and the monthly auto-calculation cadence.
- 6 —
Dispute errors in writing
Start with a written question to the case manager (an Inmate Request, 'cop-out'). If the answer doesn't resolve it, file a BP-9 administrative remedy so the dispute is preserved for court review.
What does each field on the sheet mean?
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Date Computation Began (DCB) | When the sentence commenced under § 3585(a) |
| Total Term in Effect | The (aggregated) sentence being served |
| Jail Credit | Pre-sentence detention ranges credited under § 3585(b) |
| Expiration Full Term (EFT) | Commencement + term, with no credits |
| Good Conduct Time / projected | 54 days per sentence-year, prorated, assuming clear conduct |
| Statutory Release Date (SRD) | EFT minus projected GCT — the date most people mean by 'release date' |
| Projected Satisfaction Date / Method | The operative release date and which rule produces it |
Can family members get the sheet directly?
Not from the facility — BOP releases it to the incarcerated person, who can mail a copy home, or to a representative with a signed release. A Freedom of Information Act request to BOP (with the person's written consent, using Form DOJ-361) also works but takes months. The fastest path is simply having the person request it at their next team meeting and mail it out.
Once you have the numbers, enter them into the OutDate calculator — it rebuilds the computation independently, cites the rule behind each step, and flags lines that don't match what BOP should have produced.
Free calculator
Run the numbers for your person
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 computation sheet the same as the inmate locator date?
No. The public locator shows a single 'release date' with no breakdown. The computation sheet shows how that date was built — term, jail credit, GCT — and the FSA assessment shows earned credits. Errors are only visible on the sheets, never on the locator.
How often is the computation updated?
The base computation changes only when something changes it (a corrected Judgment, new jail credit, disciplinary GCT loss). FSA credits are recalculated on a roughly monthly cycle, which is why the operative release date can tick earlier month by month for someone earning credits.
What if the case manager refuses or delays?
The printout is a routine request. If it stalls, put it in writing as an Inmate Request, then escalate through the administrative remedy chain (BP-8/BP-9) — the how-to-file guide covers deadlines and wording.
Primary sources
Everything on this page is drawn from the statutes, regulations, and BOP program statements below — read them directly:
Keep reading
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.