On February 5, Bernard “Bernie” Madoff filed for compassionate release from federal prison. He deserved the sentence he received, but there is still an out for him through compassionate release. Inmates like Madoff are in the Department of Justice’s Victim Witness Program, that gives a notification to the victims of an offender’s crimes that the inmate has applied for release ... in this case a compassionate release. Madoff would have applied through the administrative remedies allowed every inmate to petition for release based on serious health issues. In December 2019, a federal judge granted a compassionate release to former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers, His petition clearly cited the remedy offered for compassionate release under the First Step Act.

Source: Forbes February 08, 2020 12:57 UTC