Supreme Court Agrees to Decide Whether First Step Act Time Credits Can Be Challenged via Habeas Corpus

The Supreme Court added Maxwell v. Thomas to its docket on Monday, agreeing to decide how inmates may challenge time credits earned under the First Step Act in federal court. The case centers on whether such challenges can proceed through habeas corpus petitions.

William Maxwell, an inmate serving a 20-year sentence for racketeering, filed the petition without an attorney. A lawyer later submitted a reply brief on his behalf. The First Step Act, signed into law in 2018, permits inmates to earn time credits for completing recidivism-reduction programming or productive activities.

Those credits can shorten the period an inmate must spend in secure custody before transfer to a halfway house or home confinement. The question before the justices is whether inmates denied credit they believe they have earned may contest that denial through a habeas corpus petition.

Thomas between October 2026 and April 2027. The case marks the second time this month the justices have taken up disputes involving the 2018 law. Days earlier, the court ruled 6-3 in Rutherford v. United States that changes to mandatory minimum sentences cannot be applied retroactively when determining eligibility for compassionate release.

The current term is expected to conclude later this month. The court is next scheduled to release opinions on Thursday. For the term that begins in October, the justices have already accepted 11 cases and are expected to add more in the months ahead.