Poff v. Carr

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedJune 14, 2022
Docket4:21-cv-00900
StatusUnknown

This text of Poff v. Carr (Poff v. Carr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Poff v. Carr, (N.D. Tex. 2022).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS FORT WORTH DIVISION JULIA ANN POFF, (BOP No. 30835-479), Petitioner, v. Civil Action No. 4:21-CV-900-P (Consolidated with No. 4:21-CV-1288-P ) MICHAEL CARR, Warden, FMC-Fort Worth,

Respondent. OPINION & ORDER Before the Court is the consolidated petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 filed by petitioner, Julia Ann Poff, a federal prisoner who is confined at FMC-Carswell. Am. Pet.1-12, ECF No. 1. After considering the consolidated § 2241 petition and all relief sought by Poff, the Court concludes that her consolidated § 2241petition should be dismissed, in part, and otherwise denied. I. BACKGROUND A. Facts Related to Conviction and Detention On July 1, 2019, Poff pleaded guilty to 18 U.S.C. §§ 2 and 844(d), Transportation of Explosives with the Intent to Kill, Injure, and Intimidate, for mailing explosive devices to Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, President Barack Obama, and the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Carolyn Colvin, on or about October 2016. Judgment, App. 5, ECF No. 12. On November 18, 2019, Poff was sentenced to a 120-month term of imprisonment. Id. at 6. Poff was held in pre-sentence detention at the Federal Detention Center Houston (FDC- Houston) from November 9, 2017 to November 18, 2019, the date she was sentenced. App. (Declaration of BOP Attorney Heather Rea) 2-3, ¶¶ 3-4, ECF No. 12. She received credit for the 739 days she was held in pre-sentence detention. Id. at 3, ¶ 5. The expiration of the full term of her sentence is November 9, 2027, and her projected good conduct time release date is May 18, 2026. Id. Poff was transferred to FMC-Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas on February 10, 2020, and she remains incarcerated at FMC-Carswell. Id., ¶ 4. While incarcerated at FDC-Houston, Poff completed 18 Bureau of Prisons (BOP) education courses. Suppl. App. 55, ECF No. 23. Five of those courses were identified by the BOP as Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction (EBRR) programs and productive activities. Id. Those courses included the following: (1) “Threshold Program” completed 09/06/2018; (2) “Houses of Healing: A Prisoner’s Guide to Inner Power and Freedom” completed 04/25/2019; (3) “Circle of Strength” completed 06/19/2019; (4) “Women in the 21st Century Workplace” completed 09/30/2019; and (5) “Alcoholics Anonymous” completed 10/29/2019. Poff has not participated in any BOP authorized EBRR programming or productive activities since being sentenced on November 18, 2019. Suppl. App. 55, ECF No. 23; see generally, Suppl. App. 59-108, ECF No. 23. At the filing of the Respondent’s supplemental response, Poff was pending enrollment in the Life Connections Program (LCP). App. 23-24, ECF No. 12; Suppl. App. 79, ECF No. 23. She attended LCP orientation on August 20, 2021. App. 24, ECF No. 12. B. Facts Related to Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies Poff submitted various Requests for Administrative Remedies seeking time credit under the First Step Act (“FSA”), and challenging the classification of her offense as a “crime of violence,” in order to meet the qualifications for home confinement under the CARES Act. App. (Grievance Records) 25-38, ECF No. 12. On October 30, 2020, Poff submitted a Request for Administrative Remedy, No. 1054759-F1, asking for earned time credits under the FSA because she did “outside courses,” “received certificates,” and was “about [to do] a Bachelor’s degree program.”1 Id. at 29. Warden Carr informed Poff that the BOP was then reviewing legislation and would carry out necessary steps to comply with earned time credits under the FSA. Id. at 30. Poff appealed that response to the Regional Director, No. 1054759-R1, on January 13, 2021. Id. at 31. Regional Director J. Baltazar, responded on March 25, 2021, and informed Poff that the BOP had not begun calculating or applying time credit under the FSA. Id. at 32. She then appealed to the BOP’s Central 1. Also, on October 30, 2020, Poff submitted a Request for Administrative Remedy, No. 1054758-F1, seeking clarification as to why she was determined to be “FSA Ineligible.” App. 26, ECF No. 12. Poff voluntarily withdrew No. 1054758-F1 on December 7, 2020. Id. at 27. 2 Office, No. 1054759-A1, on April 13, 2021. Id. at 33. The Administrator for the National Inmate Appeals responded and concurred with Warden Carr and Regional Director Baltazar. Id. at 34. Specifically, Petitioner was informed that “[s]taff are putting forth a diligent effort to review all inmates in accordance with the FSA implementation” and “continue to evaluate and approve programming for credit.” Id. Poff was encouraged to work with her Unit Team regarding future questions related to her eligibility. Id. On May 4, 2021, Poff complained that her 18 U.S.C. § 844(d) offense was misclassified as “violent,” which is preventing her “from being eligible under the CARES Act,” though she did not specifically identify what she was ineligible for. Id. at 36. Poff made an informal resolution attempt, requesting the mistake be corrected and remove “violence” from her offense. Id. The response informed Poff that her offense is classified as “violent.” Id. She then submitted a separate Request for Administrative Remedy, No. 1082661-F1, asserting, “[i]n light of US v. Davis, my crime that I was forced to plead guilty does not meet the definition of a violent crime.”2Id. at 37. She again asked for her crime be reclassified as non-violent so she can “meet the qualifications of the CARES Act and can be released on home confinement.” Id. Warden Carr denied the Request for Administrative Remedy, No. 1082661-F1, on June 23, 2021, stating, “your specific offense is listed on PS P5162.05,3 which indicates that your offense will be deemed as a crime of violence.”4Id. at 38. Poff was informed that if she was dissatisfied with Warden Carr’s response, she could appeal to the Regional Director. Id. Poff did not appeal Grievance No. 1082661-F1. 2. In United States v. Davis, the Supreme Court examined the phrase “crime of violence,” finding the residual clause 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(B) was unconstitutionally vague. 139 S. Ct. 2319 (2019). 3.Program Statement (“PS”) P5162.05 is the BOP’s Program Statement regarding Categorization of Offenses. App. 58-74, ECF No. 12. The purpose of PS P5162.05 is to assist the BOP in implementing its various policies and programs. Id. at 59. An inmate may be denied the benefits of certain programs if the inmate’s offense is identified by the Director of the BOP as a “crime of violence.” Id. 4.PS P5162.05 classifies 18 U.S.C. § 844, including all subsections, as a “crime of violence” for all program benefit considerations. App. 60-61, ECF No. 12. 3 II. GROUNDS FOR RELIEF Poff initially sought relief in case number 4:21-CV-900-P. In the initial amended petition, Poff: (1) challenged the BOP’s classification of her criminal offense under 18 U.S.C. § 844

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Poff v. Carr, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/poff-v-carr-txnd-2022.