How the First Step Act Enabled a Teenager's Early Release After 16 Years
Damian Smith, serving a 42-year term for two armed robberies, was granted compassionate release after 16½ years, a result of reforms introduced by the First Step Act.
After more than sixteen years in federal prison, Damian Smith learned that a judge had approved his request for compassionate release, allowing him to leave a 42-year sentence early. His lawyer explained that the ruling was possible because of the First Step Act, a criminal-justice reform bill enacted in 2018. The law altered sentencing guidelines for firearm possession during violent crimes by eliminating the stacking of consecutive mandatory maximums.
Consequently, a conviction identical to Smith's in 2009 would now result in a term under half as long. Before the act, compassionate-release applications rarely succeeded, with most never reaching a judge or being rejected. Smith's case illustrates the tangible impact of the reform on long-term inmates.
Why it matters
The story shows how recent sentencing reforms can dramatically shorten prison terms for people convicted before the changes.
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