What to Expect When Your Loved One Moves to a Halfway House (RRC)

One thing that confuses families right away is location information. The Bureau of Prisons does not disclose the actual street address of Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs). When you look someone up, the public listing shows the Residential Reentry Management (RRM) office responsible for that person, not the RRC address itself. So if you're trying to mail something, plan a visit, or coordinate a ride, you'll likely need to rely on approved channels and your loved one's instructions rather than an address you can find online.

Even though an RRC is in the community, it still runs on accountability checks. Residents go through in-house counts throughout the day, and those counts can be scheduled or random. What this means in practice: your loved one will have set times they must be present, and plans can get cut short by the need to be back for a count.

Leaving the building isn't casual. A resident can only leave the RRC through sign-out procedures, and only for approved activities. Approved reasons include seeking employment, working, counseling, visiting, or recreation. If you're trying to set up a visit or coordinate time together, the key question is whether the plan fits within what the RRC approves and how it gets documented through sign-out.

1. Get the activity approved and sign out - Leaving the RRC happens through sign-out procedures tied to an approved activity (work, job search, counseling, visiting, or recreation).
2. Go to the approved location - The expectation is that the resident is where they said they would be for the approved purpose.
3. Be ready for staff contact - While the activity is happening, staff may check in by phone or in person.
4. Return and sign back in - Coming back is part of the process, and the resident will need to follow the RRC’s return and accountability routine.

Employment moves fast in an RRC. Residents are ordinarily expected to be working 40 hours per week within 15 calendar days of arrival. That timeline can feel intense, especially if your loved one is still stabilizing after release from an institution. Planning for it early helps. If you're supporting them from the outside, focus on practical help that doesn't conflict with RRC rules: be available for calls, help them keep track of interview times, and encourage them to follow the sign-out process for every job-related appointment.

• ✓ Ask what the RRC expects for job search activity during the first 15 days
• ✓ Confirm what “40 hours per week” looks like in practice for your loved one’s situation
• ✓ Have your loved one ask staff what job-search help is available through the RRC
• ✓ Encourage them to document their work and job-search time the way the RRC requires

RRC placement also comes with a required fee that can affect a resident's budget quickly. During their stay, residents must pay a subsistence fee equal to 25 percent of their gross income. That fee is capped: it cannot exceed the per diem rate for that contract. For families, the practical takeaway is that "gross income" is the starting point. The fee is calculated before other deductions, which reduces what your loved one has available for phone time, transportation, and savings.

If you use the BOP's inmate locator after your loved one arrives at an RRC, don't be surprised when the location doesn't look like a halfway house address. The BOP does not reveal the actual street address. Instead, the site shows the RRM office responsible for the inmate. That difference matters when you're trying to confirm where they are or track down contact information.

When you need more detail than what the locator shows, start with the RRM office listing and the rules your loved one is living under. Since residents can only leave through sign-out procedures for approved activities, timing and communication depend on what the RRC approves and how it gets scheduled. If you're trying to coordinate a visit or meet-up, have your loved one confirm what activity can be approved (visiting is one example) and what the sign-out expectations are. Then build your plans around that structure.