What to Expect When Your Loved One Transfers to RRM San Antonio

The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) contracts with Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs) to help people transition back into the community as they approach release. Think of an RRC as a structured, supervised setting where your loved one can rebuild routines and stability. They'll have access to practical support: employment counseling, job placement help, financial management assistance, and other programs.

RRC placement discussions start well before release. About 17–19 months out, the unit team makes an RRC referral recommendation during a scheduled program review meeting.

The recommendation isn't one-size-fits-all. The BOP evaluates both suitability and placement length - which can be up to 12 months - using the five-factor criteria in 18 U.S.C. 3621(b). The decision is based on required factors, not just a preference for a certain city or program.

Once the unit team recommends placement, it moves through an approval chain. If the Warden approves, the institution forwards a referral packet to an RRM office for review. The packet then goes to the appropriate RRC contractor, who decides whether to accept or deny placement.

Life at an RRC is closely managed, even though your loved one may leave for approved activities. In-house counts happen throughout the day - some scheduled, some random. Leaving requires sign-out procedures and is only allowed for approved activities like job searching, work, counseling, visits, or recreation. Expect their day to revolve around check-ins, accountability, and staying within their approved schedule.

Even during approved outings, your loved one isn't on their own. Staff monitor their location and movements, and can call or show up to verify where they are at any time. When they return, they may face a random drug and alcohol test. Time outside the building is supervised time, not free time.

Employment is a major focus. Staff help residents find work through local employer networks, job fairs, and training classes covering resume writing and interview skills. There's also a clear expectation: residents are ordinarily expected to be working about 40 hours a week within 15 calendar days of arriving.

RRCs also support continuity of care. Contractors provide access to medical and mental health treatment, and people ordinarily transfer with an initial supply of required medications. On housing, the contractor can help locate suitable options if needed. For those releasing to supervision, the contractor verifies the proposed address and forwards comments to the U.S. Probation Office.

Next Steps Families

• ✓ Contact your loved one’s unit team at the sending institution to confirm whether an RRC referral has been made and what’s being recommended.
• ✓ Ask where the referral is in the approval process (Warden approval, RRM office review, and whether the RRC contractor has accepted placement).
• ✓ Confirm the practical details that can affect your planning: how sign-outs work, what kinds of activities are approved, and what the expectations are around employment and housing planning once your loved one arrives.