Halfway House (RRC) Time-The Second Chance Act allows you to have more and maybe–home detention!

Most non-violent federal prison inmates will complete their period of federal prison incarceration in some type of Community Corrections Center (CCC) or halfway house, now being called a Residential Re-entry Center, (RRC). Old law and B.O.P. policy, as of December 2002, requires inmates to remain in federal prison until at least 90% or more of their sentence has been completed. Only then did they become eligible for a transfer to a Community Corrections Center. The maximum amount of halfway house time the inmate received was ten (10) percent of his sentence or a maximum of six (6) months, whichever is less. Of course the passage of the Second Chance Act on April 9, 2008, affected many changes. The Second Chance Act, signed by President Bush, provided that, “the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that a prisoner serving a term of imprisonment spends a portion of the final months of that term (not to exceed 12 months), under conditions that will afford that prisoner a reasonable opportunity to adjust to and prepare for reentry of that prisoner into the community. Such conditions may include a community correctional facility.” In addition, the Second Chance Act addresses home confinement which is now called home detention when it states, “The authority under this subsection may be used to place a prisoner in home confinement for the shorter of 10 percent of the term of imprisonment of that prisoner or 6 months.” Recent B.O.P. policy shifts outlined in the June 24, 2010 Memorandum titled, “Revised Guidance for Residential Reentry Center (RRC) Placements”, now directs the Unit Team to allow direct placement to home detention rather than placement in a halfway house for some inmates. Of course graduates of the 500-Hour Residential Drug Abuse Program receive up to 180 days (6 months) in RRC’s regardless of their term of imprisonment. In other cases some inmates may stay only up to 14 days in a halfway house before being placed in home detention. The inmate’s length of stay at a halfway house may be reduced considerably. This results in even less time in prison and less time in a halfway house and more time at home with the inmate’s family. Jail Time Consulting explains this process to our clients and assists them to receive the most halfway house time or home detention time possible.

JTC explains the Community Custody/Halfway House process to our clients including the strict monitoring and rules inmates must adhere to when in a halfway house. This knowledge and a strict adherence to the rules and regulations coupled with a complete understanding of the transitional process will prevent the inmate from violating and being remanded back to federal prison for the remainder of his sentence. Although being in a halfway house is so much better that being in federal prison, halfway houses have strict rules and policies that every inmate must follow and observe. Even the slightest violation and the inmate may find himself back in federal prison for the remainder of his sentence. It is important to know these rules and regulations and be prepared for the transition period. Jail Time Consulting provides our clients with this information.

In addition, JTC will assist the inmate with placement in a halfway house that is close to his release residence. If the inmate’s release residence has changed during his incarceration, we will also assist in providing the necessary supporting documentation to verify the change so that it will not affect the inmate negatively or cause a delay at the time of his release to a halfway house.

So whether it is a change in release residence, a halfway house closer to your home, or more halfway house time or home detention via the Second Chance Act, call Jail Time Consulting. We are Second Chance Act experts! Ask our clients!