Alan Woolsey v. Warden Washington

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA NORTHERN DIVISION ALAN WOOLSEY, ) ) Petitioner, ) ) v. ) CASE NO. 2:25-CV-137-WKW ) [WO] WARDEN WASHINGTON, ) ) Respondent. ) ORDER Petitioner Alan Woolsey filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, which was docketed on February 18, 2025. (Doc. # 1.) In his petition, Petitioner asked the court to (a) apply First Step Act time credits (FTC[]s) beginning 10/07/2017, the date of Petitioner’s sentencing, (b) apply 15[] days of FTC[]s per month beginning on 5/14/2020, the date of his 2nd consecutive assessment as a low [recidivism-risk level], (c) calculate and apply FTC[]s at the rate stipulated in the [FSA] . . . thus transferring [Petitioner] to prelease custody immediately[,] [and] (d) if eligible, apply any Second Chance Act (SCA) rewards towards Petitioner’s prerelease date. (Doc. # 1 at 6.)

At the time of filing, Petitioner was proceeding pro se and incarcerated at the Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery, Alabama (“FPC Montgomery”). By Order dated October 2, 2025, Joseph Mitchell McGuire was appointed as counsel for Petitioner. (Doc. # 22.) On December 15, 2025, Respondent filed a supplemental response and notice of mootness. (Doc. # 27.) Respondent’s response noted (and the court agrees) that Petitioner’s transfer to prerelease custody moots his § 2241 petition. (See Doc. # at 11–15.)

Before the court is Petitioner’s unopposed motion for an extension of time to file a reply brief. (Doc. # 28.) The motion states that “Plaintiff was recently released from [FPC Montgomery] to supervised release in his hometown.” (Doc. # 28 at 1, ¶ 4.)

Because Petitioner has been transferred to supervised release, there is no longer a case or controversy to litigate, and this court is unable to provide any meaningful relief to Petitioner. See Adams v. Washington, 2025 WL 2174855, at *1–2 (M.D. Ala. July 31, 2025) (dismissing a § 2241 petition as moot where the petitioner had been transferred to prerelease custody at a residential reentry center); see also Singleton v. Neely, 2023 WL 9550049, at *3–4 (N.D. Ala. Dec. 21, 2023) (recommending dismissal of § 2241 petition as moot because the petitioner received her requested relief upon her transfer to prerelease custody), R&R adopted, 2024 WL 3640177 (N.D. Ala. Feb. 7, 2024).

Based on the foregoing, it is ORDERED as follows: (1) Petitioner’s motion for an extension to file a reply brief (Doc. # 27) is DENIED as moot; (2) The evidentiary hearing on the merits scheduled for January 22, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. is CANCELLED; and (3) The Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 (Doc. # 1) is DISMISSED without prejudice as moot.

Final Judgment will be entered separately.

DONE this 7th day of January, 2026. /s/ W. Keith Watkins UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE