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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Aug 29.
Published in final edited form as: Ann Intern Med. 2011 May 31;155(2):122–126. doi: 10.1059/0003-4819-155-2-201107190-00348

Table 1.

Outcomes of Compassionate Release Requests that Reach Final Review Stage* in the Federal Bureau of Prisons†‡

Year Federal Prison Population Deaths in Federal Bureau of Prisons #§ Mortality Rate / 100,000 Federal Prisoners Compassionate Release Requests Reaching Final Stage of Review # Compassionate Release Requests Approved in Final Stage # Compassionate Release Requests Denied in Final Stage, # Applicants Who Died While Their Case was in the Final Review Process∥ #
2008 178,530 399 229 36 27 5 6
2007 176,346 368 211 30 16 10 6
2006 169,320 328 192 44 26 10 6
2005 175,954 388 233 36 18 10 8
2004 169,370 333 208 21 6 7 5
2003 173,059 347 227 46 25 11 8
2002 163,528 335 232 38 24 5 6
2001 156,993 303 221 34 26 4 3
2000 145,416 285 218 40 32 5 3
*

To reach the final stage of the compassionate review process in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the application has already been initiated by the inmate, citing both justification and post-release plans, recommended by the warden of the institution where the inmate is held (including attending physician's medical summary and life expectancy estimate), reviewed and approved by the Regional Director, reviewed and approved by the General Counsel of the Bureau of Prisons, evaluated and forwarded by the Medical Director or Assistant Medical Director of the Correctional Programs Division, and ultimately approved by the Director of the Bureau of Prisons. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons then forwards a motion for release to the U.S. Attorney in the district where the prisoner was sentenced, and to the sentencing court. (5) The data as reflected in this table considers the Director of the Bureau of Prisons the final review stage.

†

All data for this table taken from the U.S. Department of Justice's “Requests for Reduction in Sentence Received in Central Office” (27) except where otherwise noted.

‡

Of note, the numbers listed for each year reflect all activity during a calendar year. Approvals and denials may carry over from one year to the next. the numbers of approvals, denials and deaths in one year do not always add up to the total number of requests from that year.

§

Data in this column taken from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics' “Deaths of prisoners under federal jurisdiction by sex and cause of death, 1999–2008” (26).

∥

Death occurred before final decision made about Compassionate Release