Tales of a Former Federal Inmate - Half-Way House/RDAP

Halfway House Time / RDAP

If you are sentenced to federal prison, the last 10% of your sentence will be spent in a half-way house if your paperwork is submitted on time by the staff at your facility and the halfway house has a bed for you. The Second Chance Act states that you can ask for up to twelve months in a halfway house (if you have special circumstances). You have to ask at your facility for the six months and it is at their discretion as to whether or not they will ask the halfway house for you to have six months. You may get extra time if you have no place to live when released or if you were the care giver of a child prior to incarceration and you have to deal with custody issues upon release. If your facility refuses to allow you the extra time, you can do administrative remedies if you have sufficient time before your release date. There are two ways to get to the halfway house either you use regular public transportation of if willing your family can pick you up from the facility and take you there. However 30 days prior to your release whoever is driving you has to provide the facility with a copy of their driver’s license, make and model of car and license plate number. When you arrive at the halfway house they will give a breathalyzer and urine analysis. If you fail either, you can be sent back to your facility.

RDAP is a residential drug program at many federal prisons. Depending on the length of your sentence it is possible to get a sentence reduction of up to 18 months. You are eligible if you had a substance abuse (alcohol or narcotic) prior to sentencing. It should be noted in your psi. It’s said that if you get a dui while on pre-trial, that you are eligible for the drug program. I don’t know if that’s true. Your judge can recommend that you get the drug program. The facility decides if you get the program and if you get the time off. You do get six months at the halfway house if you successfully complete the program.