How Sign-Out Procedures Work at Halfway Houses: What Your Loved One Can and Can't Do (RRM SAN ANTONIO Families)

At a Bureau of Prisons Residential Reentry Center (RRC), your loved one can't simply come and go. Every time they leave, it's through a formal sign-out process - and only for approved activities. That might include job searching, going to work, attending counseling, visits with family, or recreation. If the activity isn't pre-approved, they can't leave for it.

Staff track who's in the building at all times. Counts happen throughout the day - some scheduled, some random. Your loved one needs to be inside the RRC whenever they're not signed out for an approved activity.

Being signed out doesn't mean unmonitored. Staff track your loved one's location and movements the entire time they're out. They can also call or visit at any point during the outing, so plans need to match what was authorized. For families, keep expectations realistic: even outside the facility, your loved one is under active oversight and may need to answer the phone or explain where they are at a moment's notice.

When your loved one returns from an approved outing, they may face a random drug and alcohol test. This is routine - it can happen even when everything went exactly as planned.

Family Guidance

• ✓ Ask questions about your loved one’s specific RRC placement through their unit team at the institution where they’re currently confined.
• ✓ Talk with your loved one about what “approved activities” mean in practice, so family plans don’t accidentally put them in a situation that isn’t authorized.
• ✓ Before you schedule visits or outings that might overlap with their approved time, confirm they’re only leaving through sign-out procedures and only for what has been approved.