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COMPASSIONAT E RE L E ASE IN T HE POST - F IRST ST E P ACT AND COVID- 19 E RA

Go a ls o f this Pre se nta tio n 1. E xpla in the b a sic s o f c o mpa ssio na te re le a se . 2. Dig into the spe c ific pro c e dura l a nd sub sta ntive c rite ria to o b ta in re lie f, a nd wa lk thro ug h so me sa mple s a lo ng the pro c e ss. 3. Go o ve r so me distric t spe c ific pro c e dure s fo r ha ndling c o mpa ssio na te re le a se c a se s. 4. F e e l c o nfide nt in ta c kling a c o mpa ssio na te re le a se c a se o n yo ur o wn.

T HE BASI CS Wha t is c o mpa ssio na te re le a se ?

F irst T hing s F irst Se c tio n 603 o f the F irst Ste p Ac t a me nds 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c )(1)(A) , Pe rmitting a de fe nda nt, fo r the first time , to se e k c o mpa ssio na te dire c tly with the distric t a fte r e xha usting a dministra tive re me die s.  F o r the Co urt to g ra nt re lie f, it sho uld c o nside r the 18 U.S.C. §3553(a ) fa c to rs, to the e xte nt tha t the y a re a pplic a b le , a nd find tha t: 1. E xtra o rdina ry a nd c o mpe lling re a so ns wa rra nt suc h a re duc tio n; and 2. Suc h a re duc tio n is c o nsiste nt with the Se nte nc ing Co mmissio n’ s po lic y sta te me nt in USSG §1B1.13.

Yo u Ca n Pa ss Go a nd Co lle c t $200 A distric t c o urt ma y r e duc e a de fe nda nt's o the rwise -fina l se nte nc e if it finds tha t “e xtra o rdina ry a nd c o mpe lling re a so ns wa rra nt suc h a se nte nc e re duc tio n.” 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c )(1)(A)(i). 1. T ypic a l re lie f so ug ht is re le a se fro m c usto dy. 2. Co mpa ssio na te re le a se is no t limite d to imme dia te re le a se , a nd inc lude s a re duc tio n in se nte nc e .  Se e Unite d State s v. Shmuc kle r , 2019 WL 6257959, a t *2 n.5 (E .D.Va . No v. 22, 2019) (“T he BOP use s the te rms ‘ c o mpa ssio na te re le a se ’ a nd ‘ re duc tio n in se nte nc e ’ inte rc ha ng e a b ly, a nd the Co urt will do the sa me ”) (c ita tio n o mitte d).

Wha t Co mpa ssio na te Re le a se is No t.  COVID- L itigation: “Ge ne ra l c o nc e rns a b o ut po ssib le e xpo sure to COVI D-19 do no t me e t the c rite ria fo r e xtra o rdina ry a nd c o mpe lling re a so ns.” Se e b e rhart , 2020 WL 1450745, a t *2 (N.D. Ca l. Ma r. 25, 2020). Unite d State s v. E  Home Is Whe r t Is: T he BOP de sig na te s the pla c e o f de fe nda nt’ s e the He ar impriso nme nt. T hus, the Co urt do e s no t ha ve a utho rity to dic ta te pla c e me nts to the BOP. Se e 18 U.S.C. §3621(b ); Unite d State s v. Co sb y , 180 F e d. App'x 13 (10th Cir. 2006).  Bond Pe nding Appe al: Alwa ys re q uire s a sho wing tha t, “the a ppe a l is no t fo r the purpo se o f de la y a nd ra ise s a sub sta ntia l q ue stio n o f la w o r fa c t tha t like ly to re sult” in re ve rsa l o r a le sse r se nte nc e tha n b e ing se rve d. 18 U.S.C. §3143(b )(2).

JUMPI NG T HROUGH T HE HOOPS E xha ustio n 101

Whe n Ca n I F ile a Mo tio n?  30 da y a fte r the re c e ipt o f  T he de fe nda nt ha s fully e xha uste d a ll a dministra tive rig hts suc h a re q ue st b y the or wa rde n o f the de fe nda nt’ s to a ppe a l a fa ilure o f the Bure a u afte r fa c ility. o f Priso ns to b ring a mo tio n o n the de fe nda nt’ s b e ha lf. WHI CHE VE R I S E ARL I E R!

T his is E xha usting ! 1. F ile a F o rma l Administra tive Re me dy re q ue st. (BP-9 F o rm). 2. F ile a n a ppe a l to the Re g io na l Dire c to r. (BP-10 F o rm). 3. F ile a n a ppe a l to the Ge ne ra l Co unse l. (BP-11).

De a r Wa rde n!  T he re q ue st to the Wa rde n sho uld b e in writing a nd “sha ll a t a minimum” c o nta in the fo llo wing info rma tio n: 1. T he e xtra o rdina ry o r c o mpe lling c irc umsta nc e s tha t the inma te b e lie ve s wa rra nt c o nside ra tio n. 2. Pro po se d re le a se pla ns, inc luding whe re the inma te will re side , ho w the inma te will suppo rt himse lf/ he rse lf, a nd, if the b a sis fo r the re q ue st invo lve s the inma te 's he a lth, info rma tio n o n whe re the inma te will re c e ive me dic a l tre a tme nt, a nd ho w the inma te will pa y fo r suc h tre a tme nt.

And Whe n the Wa rde n Sa ys No …  Whe n a n inma te ’ s re q ue st is de nie d b y the Wa rde n, the inma te will re c e ive writte n no tic e a nd a sta te me nt o f re a so ns fo r the de nia l.  T he inma te ma y a ppe a l the de nia l thro ug h the Administra tive Re me dy Pro c e dure .

Do We Re a lly Ha ve to E xha ust?  “[T ]he va st ma jo rity o f c o urts to ha ve c o nside re d the issue ha ve c o nc lude d tha t a fa ilure to sa tisfy 18 U.S.C. §3582(c )(1)(A)’ s filing re q uire me nts b a rs de fe nda nts fro m filing mo tio ns fo r c o mpa ssio na te re le a se , a nd tha t the judic ia ry ha s no po we r to c ra ft a n e xc e ptio n to the se re q uire me nts fo r de fe nda nts se e king re le a se during the COVI D-19 pa nde mic .”  Unite d State s v. Danie ls , 2020 WL 1938973, a t *3 (N.D. Ala . Apr. 22, 2020); se e also Unite d State s v. Harris , 2020 WL 1969951, a t *1 (M.D. F la . Apr. 24, 2020);  Unite d State s v. Raia , 954 F .3d 594 (3d Cir. Apr. 2, 2020).  De nying a mo tio n fo r c o mpa ssio na te re le a se b a se d o n the COVI D-19 pa nde mic b e c a use the inma te ha d no t c o mplie d with the sta tute a nd e xha uste d a dministra tive re me die s.  But se e Unite d State s v. Hane y , __ F. Supp. 3d __, 2020 WL 1821988, a t *3-4 (S.D. N.Y. Apr. 13, 2020) (e xa mining c o ng re ssio na l inte nt a nd c o nc luding e xha ustio n re q uire me nt in §3582(c )(1)(A) is wa iva b le unde r the uniq ue c irc umsta nc e s o f the COVI D-19 pa nde mic ).

Onc e administr ative r e me die s have be e n e xhauste d, we c an file a motion for r e duc tion of se nte nc e be for e the se nte nc ing judge .

GE T T I NG T O T HE HE ART OF I T Wha t do e s it re a lly ta ke to g e t c o mpa ssio na te re le a se ?

Putting the E xtra in E xtra o rdina ry “E xtraordinary and c ompe lling c irc umstanc e s” is not de fine d by statute .

L e t’ s Se e Wha t the Co mmissio n Ha s T o Sa y… USSG §1B1.13 se ts o ut c rite ria q ua lifying a s e xtra o rdina ry a nd c o mpe lling re a so ns. (A) “Me dic a l Conditions of the De fe nda nt,”: inc luding sub pa ra g ra phs fo r te rmina l illne ss a nd fo r o the r se rio us c o nditio ns tha t sub sta ntia lly diminish the de fe nda nt’ s a b ility to pro vide se lf-c a re within the institutio n; (B) “Ag e of the De fe nda nt,”: fo r tho se 65 a nd o lde r with se rio us de te rio ra tio n re la te d to a g ing who ha ve c o mple te d a t le a st 10 ye a rs o r 75 pe rc e nt o f the te rm o f impriso nme nt; c umsta nc e s,”: whe re a c hild’ s c a re g ive r die s o r b e c o me s inc a pa c ita te d o r (C) “F a mily Cir a spo use b e c o me s inc a pa c ita te d witho ut a n a lte rna tive c a re g ive r; a nd Re a sons”: a s de fine d b y the BOP. (D) “Othe r

No thing a L ittle Ble a c h Ca n’ t Cure ! Wha t Are So me E xa mple s o f Me dic a l Co nditio ns in the COVI D-19 E ra ? :  Se rio us me dic a l c o nditio ns tha t c o uld re sult in the m ha ving se ve re illne ss we re the y to c o ntra c t COVI D-19.  https:/ / www.c dc .g o v/ c o ro na virus/ 2019-nc o v/ ne e d-e xtra - pre c a utio ns/ pe o ple -a t-hig he r-risk.html

Co mmissio n I mpo ssib le T he c urre nt Guide line s c o mme nta ry wa s a do pte d o n the pre mise tha t the BOP, no t fe de ra l distric t c o urts, wa s the so le a rb ite r o f whe n Co mpa ssio na te re le a se is a va ila b le .  T he Commission is Not Almig hty: At le a st o ne distric t c o urt ha s c o nc lude d tha t this po lic y sta te me nt (whic h it c ha ra c te rize s a s ‘ o ld’ no w tha t the F irst Ste p Ac t ha s b e e n e na c te d) “pro vide s he lpful g uida nc e ,” b ut “do e s no t c o nstra in the c o urt's inde pe nde nt a sse ssme nt” o f a mo tio n.  Se e Unite d State s v. F o x , 2019 WL 3046086, a t *2 (D. Me . July 11, 2019).  T he Commission isn’t e ve n a Commission: T he Co mmissio n c urre ntly c a nno t c ha ng e the c o mme nta ry fo r c o mpa ssio na te re le a se due to a la c k o f a q uo rum.

Who Put the Dire c to r in Cha rg e !? Unde r §1B1.13 n.1(D), Se c tio n 4 o f the BOP’ s pro g ra m sta te me nt se ts o ut diffe re nt c rite ria fo r a g e -re la te d c o nside ra tio n. https:/ / www.b o p.g o v/ po lic y/ pro g sta t/ 5050_050_E N.pdf BUT WAIT ! T he F irst Ste p Ac t’ s c ha ng e s to c o mpa ssio na te re le a se wa s to put distric t c o urts in the po sitio n tha t the BOP Dire c to r fo rme rly o c c upie d.