Hernandez-Jimenez v. Warden, 3:24-cv-00689

Mauricio Hernandez-Jimenez was convicted in 2018 in the Eastern District of Michigan for drug conspiracy and possession charges.
He is currently incarcerated at FCC Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Hernandez-Jimenez filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, claiming the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) failed to properly apply First Step Act time credits to his sentence.
The BOP denied his administrative request regarding the credits, and Hernandez-Jimenez did not pursue further administrative appeals before filing this action.
The government moved to dismiss the petition, arguing failure to exhaust administrative remedies; Hernandez-Jimenez did not file a reply.
The magistrate judge reviewed the parties’ submissions and the exhaustion requirement under federal law.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether Hernandez-Jimenez’s § 2241 petition should be heard given his failure to exhaust administrative remedies	BOP is wrongfully denying earned First Step Act credits; court intervention needed	Petitioner did not complete mandatory BOP grievance process before filing; petition is premature	Petition dismissed without prejudice due to failure to exhaust administrative remedies

Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S. 81 (2006) (exhaustion requires use of all available remedies and compliance with applicable deadlines)
Rourke v. R.G. Thompson, 11 F.3d 47 (5th Cir. 1993) (federal inmates must exhaust administrative remedies before seeking habeas relief under § 2241)
Fuller v. Rich, 11 F.3d 61 (5th Cir. 1994) (outlining futility and other exceptions to exhaustion requirement)
Broderick v. Chapman, [citation="364 Fed. App'x 111"] (5th Cir. 2010) (exceptions to exhaustion apply only in extraordinary circumstances)