The June 2025 BOP memo introduces a key concept that affects release timing: the Conditional Placement Date (CPD). This is not a vague estimate—it’s a projected referral date that combines your earned First Step Act (FSA) Time Credits and Second Chance Act (SCA) eligibility. The goal is to push your referral forward as early as policy allows, even if your credits haven’t fully posted yet.
Here’s the exact language: “Staff will refer you based on your Conditional Placement Date, even before your credits are fully earned.”
That sentence changes everything. It removes a common delay tactic used by Unit Teams: waiting for credits to be finalized before taking action. Now, once your projected date qualifies, staff must move the referral forward based on the assumption that you’ll keep earning. That’s a big shift—but only if your file supports it.
This is where your release plan plays a direct role. The memo doesn’t say staff will refer everyone with credits. It says they’ll refer those who meet all criteria—including public safety and stability. That’s where people who prepare systematically, like those who use Michael Santos’ Release Plan Workbook, get traction. They’re not just hoping the system moves them—they’re proving they’re ready.
The Conditional Placement Date only becomes an asset if you’ve documented the kind of preparation staff need to see. That means:
- A release plan that reflects stable housing
- Documentation of productive activities tied to FSA programming
- No recent disciplinary history
- A track record of measurable progress
Michael Santos saw this shift coming. Years ago, he began urging people to document their personal growth and release preparation on PrisonProfessorsTalent.com. That public profile becomes a file that your team can review during your next meeting. When the Conditional Placement Date hits, that documentation gives staff confidence to make the referral without delay.
If you’re not building that paper trail—or worse, if your release plan is generic or vague—then the staff have an easy excuse to hold your referral. You can’t afford that. The Conditional Placement Date only helps if everything else is ready to go when the date arrives.
Ask for the CPD at your next team meeting. Don’t accept a vague answer. Ask how your credits are being applied and how your eligibility under the SCA is being factored in. Then ask what—if anything—is missing from your file that could hold up the referral. If the answer is a release plan, then you know what to fix.
The next post will break down why more people are skipping halfway houses entirely—and why your documentation may be the deciding factor in going directly to home confinement.
Justin Paperny
