Lopez v. Davis, 531 U.S. 230, 4 (2001)

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Cite as: 531 U. S. 230 (2001)

Opinion of the Court

tion categorically denies early release to prisoners whose current offense is a felony attended by "the carrying, possession, or use of a firearm." 28 CFR § 550.58(a)(1)(vi)(B) (2000). The validity of the Bureau's regulation is the question presented in this case. We hold, in accord with the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, that the regulation is a permissible exercise of the Bureau's discretion under 18 U. S. C. § 3621(e)(2)(B).

I

A

Title 18 U. S. C. § 3621 governs the imprisonment of persons convicted of federal crimes. In 1990, Congress amended the statute to provide that "[t]he Bureau shall . . . make available appropriate substance abuse treatment for each prisoner the Bureau determines has a treatable condition of substance addiction or abuse." Pub. L. 101-647, § 2903, 104 Stat. 4913. Four years later, Congress again amended § 3621, this time to provide incentives for prisoner participation in BOP drug treatment programs. The incentive provision at issue reads: "The period a prisoner convicted of a nonviolent offense remains in custody after successfully completing a treatment program may be reduced by the Bureau of Prisons, but such reduction may not be more than one year from the term the prisoner must otherwise serve." Pub. L. 103-322, § 32001, 108 Stat. 1897 (codified at 18 U. S. C. § 3621(e)(2)(B)).

In 1995, the Bureau published a rule to implement the early release incentive. 60 Fed. Reg. 27692-27695; 28 CFR § 550.58. Because the statute explicitly confined the incentive to prisoners convicted of "nonviolent offense[s]," 18 U. S. C. § 3621(e)(2)(B), the BOP ranked ineligible for early release all inmates currently incarcerated for "crime[s] of violence," 60 Fed. Reg. 27692. As explained in the Bureau's program statement, the BOP defined "crimes of violence" to include a drug trafficking conviction under 21 U. S. C. § 841,

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