When can federal prisoners apply for parole in the US?
The US federal system abolished parole for offences committed after November 1, 1987. Federal prisoners sentenced under the Sentencing Reform Act serve their sentence minus good time credit (up to 54 days per year). Release is administered by the Bureau of Prisons, not a parole board. Some states still have parole systems; check state-specific rules.
What is supervised release in the federal system?
Federal supervised release replaces parole. After serving their sentence (minus good time), federal prisoners are released to a term of supervised release imposed by the sentencing judge. Violating supervised release conditions can result in additional incarceration up to the original supervised release term.
Which US states still have parole?
As of 2025, most US states retain discretionary parole. States that have abolished discretionary parole include California (for most offences since 1977), Maine, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington. These states use 'truth in sentencing' or determinate sentencing instead.
What is the 85% rule in federal sentencing?
Under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, states receiving federal grants agreed to require violent offenders to serve at least 85% of their sentence. In the federal system, violent offenders must also serve at least 85% (i.e., good time credit reduces their sentence by no more than 15%). Non-violent federal offenders can earn up to 54 days/year in good time credit.