Federal Prisoners to Receive More Phone Time, Earlier Release Credits After Tzedek Meets With Bureau of Prisons

Individuals incarcerated in federal prisons will soon have significantly more time to connect with family, and many in halfway houses are being released months early, following key policy changes by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

The changes come after a meeting between the BOP’s top leadership and the Tzedek Association, a non-profit advocacy group.

In a communication to supporters, Tzedek announced two major breakthroughs resulting from their recent advocacy efforts.

Effective August 1st, the monthly phone time allotment for federally incarcerated individuals will increase from 300 to 510 minutes. This implements a provision of the First Step Act (FSA) that Tzedek argued had not been fully honored.

According to the organization, the previous limit of 300 minutes amounted to just under ten minutes per day, a challenging reality for those trying to maintain family ties. The group highlighted the emotional and logistical toll of the old system.

“People literally time their calls down to the second, cutting off mid-sentence just to preserve enough minutes for a future call — the difference between hearing their child’s voice tomorrow or not,” Tzedek stated in its announcement. The organization explained that the BOP’s practice of rounding up call times to the next full minute further strained the limited allotment.

Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, President and Founder of the Tzedek Association, emphasized the importance of the increase. “More minutes means more moments to comfort a child, check in on a parent, speak to a spouse. It means connection, and connection is one of the strongest tools we have for rehabilitation, stability and reentry success.”

The second major change corrects an issue that was delaying the release of individuals who had been transferred from prison to halfway houses. Under the First Step Act, individuals continue to earn time credits toward early release while in a halfway house. However, Tzedek reported that the BOP was applying these credits manually on a case-by-case basis, leading to inconsistencies and significant delays.

Following Tzedek’s intervention, the BOP has now automated the application of these credits. The result has been immediate and dramatic for many.

“Inmates are now being told across the board that they qualify for home confinement immediately or imminently — months earlier than they had been previously told,” the announcement detailed. “For many families, this means an unexpected and joyous reunion — sooner rather than later.”

Rabbi Margaretten expressed gratitude for the policy shifts. “We’re grateful to the BOP leadership for their responsiveness on both of these critical issues — and grateful to each of you for continuing to stand with us as we fight for the dignity and humanity of every person affected by incarceration.”