Case Explained: JEFFREY R. JONES v. BRIAN LAMMER

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Filed: 2026-07-29 The seventh-circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of Jeffrey Jones’s petition for relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, denying him eligibility for time credits under the First Step Act. The court held that there is no ambiguity or irreconcilable conflict between 18 U.S.C. § 3632(d)(4)(D)(lxvi) and § 3632(d)(4)(D)(lxviii), which govern prisoner ineligibility for time credits. The court reasoned that the provisions address different courses of conduct: subsection (lxvi) excludes prisoners convicted under specific fentanyl quantity thresholds, while subsection (lxviii) applies to those who acted as organizers or supervisors in fentanyl offenses. Because Jones’s conviction fell squarely within the exclusionary criteria of subsection (lxvi), he was statutorily ineligible for time credits regardless of whether the sentencing court made a leadership finding required by subsection (lxviii). Consequently, the Bureau of Prisons’ determination that Jones was ineligible was upheld, and his petition was denied. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.