Federal Prison and Sentencing Glossary

Common terms

• GCT — Good Conduct Time, 54 days per year of the sentence imposed.
• FTC — First Step Act earned time credits, earned in 30-day blocks.
• PATTERN — the BOP's risk and needs assessment, which sets the FSA earning rate.
• RDAP — Residential Drug Abuse Program, worth up to a 12-month reduction.
• RRC — Residential Reentry Center, commonly called a halfway house.
• SCA — Second Chance Act, which authorizes prerelease community placement.
• Writ days — time on temporary transfer to another jurisdiction, during which FSA credits are not earned.
• Detainer — a hold placed by another jurisdiction that can affect placement and FSA credit application.