Sentence Reduction Techniques

Since the demise of the ICC Program, there is currently only one option available to shorten a federal prison sentence. This option is participation in the 500-Hour Residential Drug Abuse Program commonly referred to as RDAP. The 500-Hour Residential Drug Abuse Program is a very competitive and highly sought after program in the federal prison system. The reason is simple. Graduates of the RDAP program are eligible for up to a twelve (12) month federal prison sentence reduction and up to a six (6) month community custody (halfway house) designation, depending upon the length of their initial sentence. This has the effect of reducing the inmate’s institutional federal prison incarceration by up to eighteen (18) months! Imagine up to eighteen (18) months off your federal prison sentence!

The 500-Hour Residential Drug Abuse Program is highly competitive and sought after by inmates already serving time in federal prison and those defendants about to be sentenced to federal prison. Prison Consulting Group specializes in positioning our clients to take advantage of this valuable Bureau of Prisons’ program. Since competition is keen, applicants must be extremely knowledgeable in the admission requirements and meet the diagnostic criteria for substance abuse or dependence as indicated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). This qualifying information should be included in the defendant’s Pre-Sentencing Investigation Report (PSI) under the Substance Abuse section. Unfortunately, many defendants fail to report this information or were advised by their attorney not to disclose this information to the U.S. Probation Officer authoring the PSI for fear of receiving another charge or a more severe sentence. This is where PCG can help. Whether you are currently in a federal prison or about to enter a federal prison, PCG can assist you in meeting the eligibility requirements for this program. Contact Us now as time may be critical.

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Application to the RDAP program can only be made by the inmate once he is in federal prison and within thirty-six (36) months of release. Many inmates arrive at Federal Prison Camps with sentences less than thirty-six months. These inmates are immediately eligible, at least time wise, for the 500-Hour Residential Drug Abuse Program and should contact PCG for assistance in determining eligibility and admission to the program. Defendants about to be sentenced to federal prison also need to know all the eligibility requirements including the importance of the Pre-Sentencing Investigation Interview and Report, the 500-Hour Residential Drug Abuse Program Eligibility Interview, and the diagnostic criteria for substance abuse or dependence as indicated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). They should also know the role that institutional case management, the RDAP Coordinator, and the staff of the Psychology Department play in this determination. All this information is forthcoming in the results of the RDAP Eligibility Assessment & Positioning Paper (REAPP) which we individually and specifically prepare for each PCG client. This important tool is invaluable in determing eligibility for the 500-Hour Residential Drug Abuse Program Interview.

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