RDAP is not available at most federal detention centers, so the path to the program almost always involves a transfer to a facility that runs it.
Here is how the math works and why the timing matters. RDAP is a nine-month residential program. Completing it earns a full 12 months off the sentence. On top of that, graduates receive an automatic six months of halfway house placement. Add those three numbers together and you get 27 months. That is why the BOP generally does not transfer an inmate into RDAP until they are within 27 months of their projected release date. Getting in earlier than that window would mean completing the program with too much time remaining to apply the benefits properly.
If your inmate has already applied and been approved for RDAP, the waiting period is largely a function of where they are in the sentence and when a bed opens at a facility that runs the program. The BOP manages RDAP placement nationally and transfers inmates to participating facilities when the timing aligns with that 27-month window and bed availability allows.
There are no shortcuts to accelerating that process and no consultant or service can move it faster regardless of what they charge. The BOP operates on its own timeline and the approval and transfer process moves through the system the same way for everyone. Save any money you might spend on consultants and put it on the commissary account instead.
The program works. I completed RDAP at FCI Miami Camp and received the full benefit. If your inmate is approved and eligible, the wait is worth it.