Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/529bv.pdf
Page Number: 130

529US1

Unit: $U33

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Cite as: 529 U. S. 53 (2000)

55

Opinion of the Court

and on one count of possession of a ﬁrearm by a convicted
felon, § 922(g). He received a sentence of 171 months’ im-
prisonment, consisting of three concurrent 51-month terms
on the § 841(a) and § 922(g) counts, to be followed by two
consecutive 60-month terms on the § 924(c) counts.
In addi-
tion, the District Court imposed a mandatory 3-year term
of supervised release for the drug possession offenses. See
21 U. S. C. § 841(b)(1)(C) (1994 ed., Supp. III). The Court of
Appeals, though otherwise afﬁrming respondent’s convic-
tions and sentence, concluded the District Court erred in
sentencing him to consecutive terms of imprisonment for
the two § 924(c) ﬁrearm offenses. United States v. Johnson,
25 F. 3d 1335, 1337–1338 (CA6 1994) (en banc). On remand
the District Court modiﬁed the prisoner’s sentence to a term
of 111 months.

After our decision in Bailey v. United States, 516 U. S. 137
(1995), respondent ﬁled a motion under 28 U. S. C. § 2255 to
vacate his § 924(c) convictions, and the Government did not
oppose. On May 2, 1996, the District Court vacated those
convictions, modifying respondent’s sentence to 51 months.
He had already served more than that amount of time, so
the District Court ordered his immediate release. His term
of supervised release then went into effect. This dispute
concerns its length.

In June 1996, respondent ﬁled a motion requesting the
District Court to reduce his supervised release term by 2.5
years, the extra time served on the vacated § 924(c) con-
victions. The District Court denied relief, explaining that
pursuant to 18 U. S. C. § 3624(e) the supervised release com-
menced upon respondent’s actual release from incarcera-
tion, not before. Granting respondent credit, the court ob-
served, would undermine Congress’ aim of using supervised
release to assist convicted felons in their transitions to com-
munity life.

A divided Court of Appeals reversed. 154 F. 3d 569 (CA6
1998). The court accepted respondent’s argument that his