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 An agency of the U.S. Department of Justice
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An agency of the U.S. Department of Justice
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Community corrections is an integral component of the Bureau's correctional programs. Community corrections staff develop and administer contracts for community-based correctional programs and serve as the Bureau's local liaison with the Federal courts, the U.S. Marshals Service, state and local corrections, and a variety of community groups. Through the community corrections program, the Bureau has also developed agreements with state and local governments and contracts with privately-operated facilities for the confinement of Federally adjudicated juveniles and for the detention or secure confinement of some Federal inmates. The Bureau's community-based programs are administered by staff of the Correctional Programs Division in Central Office (in Washington, DC), community corrections regional management teams in each of the Bureau's six regional offices, and the employees of 28 community corrections management (CCM) field offices serving specific judicial districts within their regions.
The Bureau contracts with residential re-entry 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 offenders' activities during this readjustment phase. An important component of the RRC program is transitional drug abuse treatment for inmates who have completed residential substance abuse treatment program while confined in a Bureau institution. RRC Placement Accountability. Inmates participating in release programming at a RRC remain in Federal custody while serving a sentence imposed by the U.S. District Court. Accordingly, RRC staff monitor an inmate's location and movement 24 hours/day. The contractor authorizes an inmate to leave the RRC through sign-out procedures for approved activities, such as seeking employment, working, counseling, visiting, or recreation. Staff continue to monitor inmates by visiting the approved locations (home or work) and/or making random phone contacts at different times during the day. Staff also administer random drug and alcohol tests for those inmates returning to the RRC from an approved activity and conduct random in-house counts throughout the day. Employment. Ordinarily, all offenders are expected to be employed 40 hours/week within 15 calendar days after their arrival at the RRC. Staff are available at the RRC to assist inmates in obtaining employment through a network of local employers, employment job fairs, and training classes in resume writing, interview techniques, etc. Housing. During their stay, inmates 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 average daily cost of their RRC placement. 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 their comments to the U.S. Probation Office. Substance Abuse Treatment/Counseling. All RRCs offer drug testing and counseling for alcohol and drug-related problems. Contractors provide treatment and/or counseling based upon the offender's needs and substance abuse history. Medical/Mental Health Treatment. Ordinarily, inmates are expected to be responsible for their own medical expenses while residing in a RRC. Contractors usually maintain a network of social service agencies to assist inmates, if the need arises during transition. In an emergency and on a case-by-case basis, the contractor is responsible for obtaining the necessary treatment required to preserve the inmate's life. The Bureau provides a 30-day supply of medication to cover the first 30 days of an inmate's stay at a RRC (under limited circumstances, more may be provided). Comprehensive Sanction Centers (CSCs) Initiated by the Bureau with the extensive collaboration from U.S. Probation and contractors, the CSC concept was created to facilitate the development and implementation of individualized community program plans tailored to offenders' specific needs. Approximately 45 percent of Federal inmates in community-based programs are housed in CSCs. While similar to RRCs, CSCs offer a more structured system for granting inmates gradual access to the community: for example, CSCs have five levels of supervision, ranging from 24-hour confinement to home confinement. CSCs also require that inmates participate in more programs. They may include an intensive treatment component consisting of substance abuse education, life skills training, mental health counseling, education, employment assistance, and monitoring. The inmate's progress is systematically reviewed by a Program Review Team (PRT), with representatives from the Bureau, U.S. Probation, and the contractor. The U.S. Probation Office is also formally involved in the release planning process. Home Confinement Some Federal inmates are placed on home confinement for a brief period at the end of their prison term. Home confinement is a generic term used to cover all circumstances under which an inmate is required to remain at home during non-working hours of the day. They serve this portion of their sentences at home under strict schedules and curfew requirements. Electronic monitoring equipment is sometimes used to monitor compliance with the program's conditions. This program provides an opportunity for inmates to assume increasing levels of responsibility, while, at the same time, providing sufficient restrictions to promote community safety and convey the sanctioning value of the sentence. Statutory provisions limit the length of home confinement to the last 6 months or 10 percent of the sentence, whichever is less. Ordinarily, an inmate is placed in a RRC or CSC prior to placement on home confinement. |
