What Is a Minimum Security Prison? A Former Federal Prisoner Explains What Actually Happens There
Eighteen years ago tomorrow I learned a minimum security prison is the lowest custody level in the federal Bureau of Prisons system. […]
What Happens at a Federal Sentencing Hearing: A Step-by-Step Guide
A federal sentencing hearing is the proceeding where a judge decides how long you will spend in federal prison (if at all), […]
What Do Prison Consultants Do? And Why You Probably Don’t Need One
A journalist called me recently. He is writing a piece about sentencing mitigation and wanted to understand what I do. He found […]
Federal Prison Mindset: The Promise That Works
I was texting with my mom this morning, confirming a visit to Los Angeles, when she reminded me: next week marks 18 […]
PPP Loan Fraud Sentencing: What Actually Happens and How to Prepare
Several months ago a man called me who had already done a lot of things right. He broke the law, pled guilty, […]
What Your Federal Sentencing Memorandum Cannot Do — And What Only You Can
Federal sentencing guidelines give you a starting point, not a final answer. The loss amount, offense level, and criminal history points frame […]
What Not to Say Your First Day in Federal Prison
When Judge Wilson sentenced me to 18 months, my first thought was that 18 months was a lifetime. I remember standing there […]
Federal Plea vs. Trial: What Defendants Get Wrong
Before You Plead Guilty, Read This: My Conversation with Defense Lawyer Stephen Lee If you are facing federal charges and deciding between […]
RDAP Program: How to Get Up to 1 Year Off Your Federal Sentence
Article 11 of 31 | Series: Federal Sentencing & the Sentence Calculator Of all the sentence reduction tools available to federal prisoners, […]
How to Show Remorse at Sentencing
The man had a polished letter, a pressed suit, and a speech he practiced in the mirror. Then he stood in federal […]
Federal Prison Security Levels: What Each Level Means for Your Case (2026)
The Bureau of Prisons operates five security levels for federal inmates: minimum, low, medium, high, and administrative. Your security level determines which […]
2026 Federal Sentencing Guidelines Amendments: What Federal Defendants Need to Know Now
A man I worked alongside last fall had been told by his attorney that his guideline range would land between 24 and […]