Steve Bannon’s early release from prison under the First Step Act was denied due to processing time constraints, according to federal prison officials.
Breitbart reported that Bannon, the former chief strategist to the White House and senior figure in conservative media has been caught in a bureaucratic snare that prevented his early release under programs intended to reduce prison overcrowding.
Bannon, who began his four-month prison term in July this year on contempt of Congress charges, found himself ineligible for early release despite meeting the requirements.
It has become clear that Bannon is a political prisoner and that progressives in power have pulled all the strings to punish Bannon.
Bannon was convicted due to his non-compliance with a subpoena issued by the January 6 Select Committee, which investigated the capitol riots. His case has stirred considerable media attention given his high-profile political connections and previous position at Breitbart News.
On October 8, 2024, Bannon's attorney, Trent McCotter, sent a letter to Darek Puzio, the acting warden of the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut. In this letter, McCotter requested Bannon's immediate resettlement to home confinement, leveraging accrued credits under the First Step Act.
Puzio's response outlined the complications in Bannon's case. While Bannon did indeed earn 10 First Step Act time credits, these could only facilitate his move to prerelease custody due to the absence of a supervision period post-imprisonment.
However, the subsequent bureaucratic procedures required for processing his home confinement could not be completed during the remaining duration of his sentence.
The First Step Act is designed to allow inmates to earn credits toward early release to improve rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. Puzio explained that though Bannon’s credits qualified him for an adjustment in his confinement status, the system's operational protocols hindered immediate action. “Unfortunately, Mr.
Bannon has insufficient time on his sentence to process a referral and secure approval for ten days of home confinement placement,” mentioned Puzio.
This denial comes despite Bannon's attorneys' argument that no reasons other than bureaucratic delays were impeding his release. McCotter and another attorney, Evan Corcoran, strongly opined that Bannon could have exited the facility earlier if not for these delays.
The frustration among Bannon's legal team is palpable. They have argued that Bannon's continued imprisonment is solely due to administrative lag, pointing toward a systemic issue rather than a lawful need to keep Bannon incarcerated.
“The government provides no other reason for denying such a release," McCotter and Corcoran contended, underscoring the lack of justification for denying Bannon the home confinement he allegedly earned.
In analyzing the situation, logistical considerations within the correctional system seem to play a significant role in determining an inmate’s eligibility for early release adjustments.
Despite Bannon's attainment of credits assuming he would qualify for home confinement under normative circumstances, the entanglement of procedure and time has curtailed these plans.
Bannon's case thus presents a nuanced discourse on the interaction between law, correctional policy, and individual rights within the confines of the U.S. penal system. It raises questions about fairness and the efficiency of policies intended to facilitate the reintegration of inmates into society through legislated initiatives like the First Step Act.