Over 2,000 home confinement prisoners found out they won’t have to return to prison once Covid-19 is over. Each case will receive an individual examination from the Bureau of Prisoners (BOP). This will determine the best outcome for each prisoner. An individualized approach could potentially become the new normal. However, neither the BOP nor the Department of Justice have commented on that possibility. Advocates say an individual approach will best serve the inmates, their families, and their communities as a whole.

“This is excellent news for thousands of people and their families to get before the holidays,” Kevin Ring said. He is the President of Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM). FAMM has been pushing for the Department of Justice to reconsider their earlier stance from the beginning of 2021. 

“There is no way the people on CARES Act home confinement should have been sent back to prison, and we are very grateful to the Biden administration for fixing this mistake,” he continued.

CARES Act

When the Covid-19 pandemic first broke out, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Under this act, 4,400 inmates went home on home confinement orders. This got them out of an overpopulated prison environment, which held perfect conditions for the virus to spread. Various aspects of the CARES Act expired at the beginning of December of 2020. Some went further into 2021, like the home confinement provision. 

This left over 2,000 inmates unsure of where they would end up. FAMM and other organizations, along with several U.S. Senators, spoke up and asked President Biden and the Department of Justice to reconsider. 

“These individuals, who were released only after careful vetting by BOP, have successfully transitioned to home confinement. They have reunited with family, obtained jobs, and are abiding by the conditions of their release,” several Senators stated in a letter to the President.

Now, home confinement individuals know they won’t have to return to prison to service the rest of their sentence. Each will receive an individual evaluation from the BOP. The Bureau says it will be similar to what they experienced at the beginning of Covid to receive home confinement orders.

Future

Many inmates and their families can rest easy this holiday season thanks to the reevaluation by the Department of Justice. Additionally, organizations like FAMM will continue to advocate for prisoners to receive fair and just sentences for any crime. Cannabis reform continues to grow across the country. 

Make sure to check back for more cannabis, hemp, and psychedelic related news.