Sean “Diddy” Combs could be out of federal prison sooner than previously expected after his projected release date shifted forward once again.
According to Federal Bureau of Prisons records, Combs is now scheduled for release from FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey on January 21, 2028. The latest change puts the music mogul on track to leave federal custody several weeks earlier than dates previously associated with his sentence.
The Diddy release date has changed multiple times since he began serving his federal sentence. His projected release had most recently been listed as February 5, 2028, after an earlier date of February 20. An initial projection had placed his release as far out as June 2028.
Those dates are projections rather than guarantees. Federal release calculations can change based on factors affecting an incarcerated person’s sentence computation and eligibility for credits.
Combs is serving a 50-month federal sentence following the conclusion of his highly publicized criminal case in Manhattan.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, a federal jury found Combs guilty on July 2, 2025, of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian later sentenced him to 50 months in prison on October 3, 2025.
The verdict was mixed for prosecutors.
According to Associated Press reporting on Combs’ transfer to Fort Dix, jurors acquitted Combs of the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges brought against him. The two convictions that remained involved transportation for prostitution under federal law.
During the criminal case, prosecutors presented evidence surrounding sexual encounters involving Combs’ former girlfriends and male sex workers. The government referred to some of those encounters as “freak-offs.” The jury’s final verdict, however, did not convict Combs on the racketeering conspiracy or sex trafficking counts.
The Diddy release date is also unfolding against a separate legal battle over his conviction and sentence.
Combs’ attorneys have appealed the outcome of the case and asked the federal appellate court to overturn his convictions or reduce his time behind bars. According to ABC News, a three-judge panel of the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in April 2026 concerning the defense’s challenge to the sentence.
His attorneys argued that the sentencing court improperly considered conduct connected to charges on which the jury acquitted him. Prosecutors defended the sentence and opposed the defense’s effort to secure relief.
Combs’ attorney Alexandra Shapiro told the appeals panel, “This case presents an important issue about a respect for jury verdicts and public confidence in our criminal justice system,” according to reporting on the April hearing.
Combs has been incarcerated since his September 2024 arrest, meaning a portion of the time he spent in federal custody before his conviction and sentencing counts toward his overall imprisonment.
The Associated Press reported that Combs was transferred to FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey in 2025 to serve the remainder of his sentence. His attorneys had requested the facility in part because of its rehabilitation programming and its location, which they said could make family visitation easier.
His changing release timeline does not alter the underlying 50-month sentence imposed by the federal court. Instead, the projected date reflects the federal prison system’s calculation of when Combs is expected to complete his custodial term under current conditions.
For now, January 21, 2028, is the date attached to Combs’ expected departure from federal prison. Given how many times the Diddy release date has already shifted, however, his official timeline could still change before he reaches the end of his sentence.
