When Your Case Manager Says There’s No Room
You’ve done your programs, earned your First Step Act credits, built a strong release plan, and now you’re hoping for a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) or home confinement placement. But when you ask your case manager, they say, “The halfway house is full.”
This is a common frustration for federal inmates—and it often feels like a stall tactic. Are they lying? Not necessarily. But there are reasons why this explanation is often misleading, incomplete, or used as a way to deflect requests for more time in the community.
Why “It’s Full” Isn’t the Whole Story
- Rolling Bed Management: Halfway houses manage beds dynamically; availability changes daily as inmates arrive and leave. A snapshot of “full” today doesn’t mean a bed won’t open next week.
- Capacity vs. Placement Limits: Many RRCs operate below physical capacity due to staffing ratios or contracts. “Full” often means staffing limits, not literal lack of beds.
- Budget Constraints: The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) contracts with providers for a set number of beds. If the budgeted slots are filled, staff may call it “full,” even if empty bunks exist.
- Convenience Factor: Case managers are overworked. Denying or delaying placement requests by saying a facility is “full” saves time on paperwork.
- Policy Misinterpretation: Some staff incorrectly believe they cannot recommend more than a few months in RRC, despite statute allowing up to 12 months of halfway house time.
The Truth About RRC and Home Confinement
Under the Second Chance Act (18 U.S.C. § 3624(c)), federal prisoners are eligible for up to 12 months in an RRC and up to 6 months or 10% of their sentence (whichever is shorter) on home confinement. These placements are supposed to be based on an individualized five-factor review—not just bed availability.
The BOP’s 2025 guidance specifically instructs staff to combine earned time credits with Second Chance Act authority to get people out sooner, not later. Simply saying “it’s full” without doing that individualized review violates the spirit of the law.
Why Staff Might Say “Full”
- Administrative Backlog: RRC referrals take time. Saying “full” can delay paperwork.
- Staffing Pressure: Case managers juggle caseloads and sometimes discourage early referrals to manage workload.
- Policy Confusion: Some facilities still operate under outdated guidance that discouraged maximum RRC placement.
- Limited Contracts: The BOP contracts with private halfway houses for a fixed number of beds—staff may genuinely have no contract slots at the moment.
What You Can Do
- Request a Written Response: Ask for confirmation in writing that your placement was denied for “lack of space” and request documentation.
- Cite the Law: Reference 18 U.S.C. § 3624(c) and the requirement for an individualized five-factor review.
- Highlight Your Achievements: Show completed programs, clear conduct, and your release plan to strengthen your case.
- Use Administrative Remedies: If you’re denied without justification, file BP-8 through BP-11 remedies. These build a record for appeals and even federal court review if needed.
- Get Help: An advocate or attorney can push back against blanket denials and force proper consideration of your eligibility.
“The halfway house is full” is often a convenient answer, but not the end of the story. Federal law requires an individualized review of your placement, not a blanket denial based on bed availability. With persistence, documentation, and advocacy, you can maximize your halfway house and home confinement time.