Residential Reentry Center

Completing the transition.

Reentry assistance reduces recidivism.

The BOP contracts with residential reentry centers (RRCs), also known as halfway houses, to provide assistance to inmates who are nearing release. RRCs provide a safe, structured, supervised environment, as well as employment counseling, job placement, financial management assistance, and other programs and services. RRCs help inmates gradually rebuild their ties to the community and facilitate supervising ex-offenders' activities during this readjustment phase.

Special Notice for RRC contractors re: retroactive sentencing guidelines for drug offenders

Residential Reentry Centers provide programs that help inmates rebuild their ties to the community and reduces the likelihood that they will recidivate.

They are accountable.

In-house counts are conducted throughout the day at scheduled and random intervals. An inmate is only authorized to leave the RRC through sign-out procedures for approved activities, such as seeking employment, working, counseling, visiting, or recreation purposes. During the approved activity, the inmate's location and movements are constantly monitored and RRC staff may visit or call them at any time. In addition, when the inmate returns they may be given a random drug and alcohol test.

They assist with employment.

RRC staff assist inmates in obtaining employment through a network of local employers, employment job fairs, and training classes in resume writing, interview techniques, etc. Ordinarily, offenders are expected to be employed 40 hours/week within 15 calendar days after their arrival at the RRC.

They assist with housing.

During their stay, offenders are required to pay a subsistence fee to help defray the cost of their confinement; this charge is 25 percent of their gross income, not to exceed the per diem rate for that contract. The contractor assists inmates in locating suitable housing (if necessary), to which they can release from the RRC. In cases where an inmate will be released with supervision, the contractor verifies the proposed address and forwards its comments to the U.S. Probation Office.

They assist with substance abuse treatment.

RRCs offer drug testing and substance abuse programs. Based upon the inmate's needs and substance abuse history, they may be referred for substance abuse treatment by contracted treatment providers. In addition, inmates who have completed the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) while confined at a BOP institution are expected to continue their drug treatment with these certified community treatment providers under contract with the BOP.

They assist with the inmate's medical and mental health care.

RRC contractors provide offenders an opportunity to access medical and mental health care and treatment. The intent is to assist the offender in maintaining continuity of medical and mental health care and treatment. Inmates ordinarily transfer from an institution to an RRC with an initial supply of required medications.

Nationwide RRC Contracts

Operating a RRC

RRC service contracts are awarded through a competitive procurement process following the requirements set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). BOP community corrections field offices identify a need for RRC services in a specific area. The number of beds needed is determined by the number of inmates projected to release to the area, prosecution trends, new initiatives, and contact with other federal law enforcement agencies. All RRC procurements for the BOP are conducted in the Central Office, Washington, D.C., and once awarded, the contracts are administered by the community corrections field offices.

Interested providers are provided a Statement of Work (SOW), or in some cases a Performance Work Statement (PWS), which outlines performance requirements for operating an RRC. The SOW provides detailed information about the administrative and program requirements and all other services the contractor will be required to perform. A PWS is a document outlining general performance requirements in a performance-based contract. The contractor will then demonstrate how they plan to meet those requirements in its contract proposal.

The competitive process is open to all interested providers, and the BOP encourages full and open competition during the procurement process. The BOP advertises for RRC services on the FedBizOpps website. For procedures, visit the section, Doing Business with the BOP.

Providing services for ex-offenders

Services are awarded through a competitive procurement process following the requirements set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). The BOP does not offer community-based services for ex-offenders through grants.

Custody of inmates at an RRC

Pre-release inmates at an RRC remain in Federal custody while serving a sentence imposed by a U.S. District Court or DC Superior Court. Offenders under the supervision of U.S. Probation or the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) are housed as a condition of their supervision.

Inmate placement into a RRC

Approximately 17-19 months prior to an inmate's release, an RRC referral recommendation is made by the unit team (which, at a minimum, consists of the inmate's unit manager, case manager, and counselor) at a scheduled program review meeting. In making the determination on suitability and length of placement (which could be up to 12 months), each inmate is considered using the five factor criteria from 18 U.S.C. 3621(b):

  • the resources of the facility being contemplated
  • the nature and circumstances of the offense(s)
  • the history and characteristics of the offender
  • any statement by the court that imposed the sentence concerning the purposes for which the sentence to imprisonment was determined to be warranted or recommending any type of penal or correctional facility as appropriate
  • any pertinent policy statement issued by the U.S. Sentencing Commission

If the Warden approves the unit team's recommendation, a referral packet is forwarded to an RRM Office - ordinarily this is the nearest office to where the inmate will be releasing. Once the RRM receives the packet, it is reviewed and forwarded to the appropriate RRC contractor. The RRC contractor assesses the inmate's needs and makes the decision to accept the inmate for placement, or deny a placement. Upon acceptance of placement, the RRM works with the RRC contractor to approve and/or modify the unit team's proposed placement date. The inmate is then informed of the final decision by the unit team.

Questions regarding an individual inmate's RRC placement should be directed to the inmate's unit team at the institution where the person is confined.

Inmate transportation to an RRC

The BOP provides for the most economical means for a furlough transfer to an RRC. An inmate may be allowed to choose the means of transportation to an RRC if all the transportation costs are borne by the inmate. See: P5280.08, Furloughs

Inmate discipline & appeal procedures at an RRC

Inmates in community programming have the same responsibilities and rights as inmates in other BOP facilities. Appeals of disciplinary actions may be completed through the administrative remedy program.

See also:

Disclosure of inmate's designation

Before arriving at the RRC
For security reasons the BOP does not release information about an inmate's designation to a RRC, or their transfer status.

After arriving at the RRC
Using our website, you can find inmates who have arrived at a designated facility. However, we do not reveal the actual address of the RRC - just the RRM office responsible for the inmate.

Other nomenclatures used

The terms "CCC", "Halfway House", or RRC are interchangeable and all refer to a contracted Residential Reentry Center (RRC). Some policies or older documents may use previous terms, however the current term, RRC, was implemented several years ago to more accurately convey the mission of the facility-facilitating reentry into the community.