Owen Hanson remembers the moment that changed how he saw his sentence: “I remember when the counselor called me in his office,” he told Fox News. Hanson says the First Step Act gave him a concrete reward for returning to school behind bars — a reduction in his time in federal custody and an opportunity to rebuild his life.
“He said, ‘Owen, you’ve earned three years off your sentence for going back to school and getting your degree.’”
How the First Step Act affected his sentence
Hanson attributes specific reductions in his federal sentence to the First Step Act, the 2018 criminal justice reform law that expanded how eligible federal inmates can earn time credits by completing approved recidivism-reduction programs and productive activities.
In his account to reporters, Hanson said the credits he earned for education and programming translated into roughly three years off his term and, separately, what he described as “two years of halfway house” placement as part of supervised prerelease. He said hearing that news was a turning point that gave him hope and a concrete timeline for getting home.
Officials and legal guidance note that the law applies only to eligible federal inmates and that earned credits are applied according to Bureau of Prisons policies and the availability of approved programs. Implementation can vary by facility and individual case, so outcomes like Hanson’s are not automatic for every person in custody.
Education and rehabilitation behind bars
Education was central to Hanson’s account. He said he completed coursework in prison and ultimately earned a master’s degree while incarcerated—an achievement he links directly to the incentives created by the First Step Act.
Hanson and advocates point to prison education and vocational programs as tools that reduce recidivism by improving job prospects and life stability after release. Research and correctional practice have increasingly emphasized that access to meaningful education and skills training can lower the risk of reoffending; the First Step Act formalized incentives for participation by tying some productive activities to time credits.
For Hanson, earning a degree provided both a credential and a psychological boost: the possibility of time earned for learning gave him a concrete reason to pursue sobriety, stay focused on coursework, and prepare for reentry.
From cartel involvement to outreach
Hanson’s story includes his own description of past involvement with organized crime. He told interviewers that after leaving USC he became entangled with a Mexican drug cartel and worked as what he called a “logistics coordinator.” Hanson said those choices “cost me 10 years of my life in prison.”
Those cartel-related claims are Hanson’s account as reported by Fox News and were not independently verified by this publication. Court records and other public documents were not specifically cited for corroboration here; readers should treat the allegation as Hanson’s description of his history unless additional verification is available.
Since his time in custody, Hanson says he got sober and has redirected his experiences into speaking engagements and mentorship. He now speaks to student-athletes about the risks of drugs and crime and the value of education — a path he frames as accountability and an effort to prevent others from repeating his mistakes.
Release path and what comes next
Hanson told reporters the combination of earned credits and his education shortened his route to supervised release and to placement in a halfway house, which he credits with making the transition back to community life smoother. He described the halfway house time as critical for finding housing, employment leads and reconnecting with family while remaining under supervision.
He now works on outreach and mentorship, emphasizing to young athletes and community groups that rehabilitation and education can change trajectories even after serious mistakes. Hanson frames his comeback as both personal accountability and a practical use of the opportunities the law created.
Context and source notes
This profile is based primarily on Hanson’s interview with Fox News. His descriptions of earning “three years off” and “two years of halfway house” come from his statements to reporters and have not been independently verified for this story.
Bureau of Prisons guidance and public legal summaries explain that the First Step Act provides mechanisms for eligible federal inmates to earn time credits through approved programming; how credits are earned and applied depends on program availability, BOP implementation, and individual case factors. Outcomes under the law vary across facilities and inmates.
Reporting for this piece relied on Hanson’s first-person account as published by Fox News and on publicly available information about the First Step Act and Bureau of Prisons policies. Nonstop News did not independently corroborate Hanson’s cartel-related allegation in this profile.
Source: Fox News; Bureau of Prisons policy and public legal summaries on the First Step Act.
Frequently asked
What is the First Step Act and who benefits from it?
The First Step Act is a 2018 federal law that expanded programming and created earned-time credits for eligible federal inmates who complete approved recidivism-reduction activities. Benefit depends on inmate eligibility, program completion, and Bureau of Prisons rules and capacity.
How did the First Step Act reduce Owen Hanson’s sentence?
Hanson says participation in approved education programs allowed him to earn credits that translated into roughly three years removed from his sentence plus prerelease time in a halfway house. That account is drawn from his interview and reflects his reported experience.
Can prison education credits shorten federal sentences?
Under the First Step Act, some inmates can earn time credits for completing qualifying programs. Whether credits shorten an individual’s time in custody depends on eligibility, documentation of program completion, and how the Bureau of Prisons applies the rules.
Reporting for this profile relied primarily on Hanson’s statements to Fox News; details about his conviction and the cartel-related allegation are presented as his account and were not independently verified for this article.
