Man Faces Return to Prison After Supreme Court Ruling on First Step Act

A freed man could be sent back to prison after a Supreme Court decision narrowed compassionate release options under the First Step Act.

Editorial Desk

October 12, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Washington, United States — A man who spent 13 years in prison for a nonviolent drug offense is now at risk of being sent back behind bars after a Supreme Court decision limited his chances for early release.

Patrick Dewayne Smith, 47, was released in 2024 under the First Step Act, a landmark criminal justice reform law. However, a recent Supreme Court ruling has put his freedom in jeopardy, as it determined that sentencing disparities from past laws are not sufficient grounds for compassionate release.

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Smith, who has been working two jobs and rebuilding his life in Tennessee, now faces the possibility of a life sentence. His case highlights the ongoing debate over how to apply criminal justice reforms to those already serving long sentences.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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