Why did the release date change?
A moving federal release date is usually the system working, not an error: for FSA-eligible people BOP recalculates earned time credits on a roughly monthly cycle, so the operative date ticks earlier as credits accrue and apply. Dates move later for a shorter list of reasons: disciplinary loss of Good Conduct Time or FSA credits, a PATTERN score rising above low, a detainer being lodged, or a computation correction. The direction and size of the change tells you where to look — and the person's FSA Time Credit Assessment plus the computation sheet will show exactly which line moved.
Reviewed against 18 U.S.C. § 3632(d)(4), 28 C.F.R. § 523.44, and 28 C.F.R. part 541. Last updated .
What makes a date move earlier?
- Monthly FSA application — credits earned in the latest cycle were applied toward early transfer to supervised release (up to the 365-day cap) or toward prerelease placement (§ 3624(g)).
- The enhanced rate kicked in retroactively — after two consecutive minimum/low PATTERN assessments, BOP awards 15 days per 30 instead of 10, applied back across the qualifying streak, which can jump a date by weeks at once.
- Jail credit added or a correction — missing pre-sentence custody was found, or an aggregation error fixed.
- RDAP § 3621(e) release approved — a provisional RDAP early-release date was entered.
What makes a date move later?
- Disciplinary action — a hearing officer disallowed Good Conduct Time or FSA credits (28 C.F.R. part 541 severity tables; see how much time an incident costs).
- PATTERN risk rose — credits keep being earned at the 10-day rate regardless, but application toward release requires minimum/low risk, so a jump to medium can push the operative date back until the score recovers (28 C.F.R. § 523.44).
- A detainer or final order of removal was lodged — credits can no longer be applied (§ 3632(d)(4)(E); see the detainer explainer), which can move a date back by up to a year overnight.
- A computation correction against the person — e.g. double-counted jail credit removed.
How do I track this without guessing?
OutDate projects the whole date ladder from the underlying rules and shows which assumption each date rests on — so when BOP's public date shifts, you can see which input must have changed. Pro accounts watch the BOP locator and alert you when a listed date moves, with the likely cause attached.
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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
The locator date jumped 3 weeks earlier overnight. Why?
Most likely a monthly FSA auto-calculation applied newly earned credits, or the enhanced 15-day rate applied retroactively after a second consecutive minimum/low assessment. Both are normal and show up on the next FSA Time Credit Assessment printout.
Can a release date change in the last few months before release?
Yes — this is when prerelease placement decisions land (halfway house or home confinement dates move with bed space), final FSA applications happen, and any disciplinary loss bites hardest. Near-release PATTERN reassessments also run more frequently than the usual cycle.
Does an appeal or pending motion change the BOP date?
No — BOP computes the sentence as it stands. Only an amended Judgment, a court order (e.g. a granted § 3582 motion), or executive clemency changes the term BOP is computing.
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.