An inmate transfer can happen with little or no warning and the period of silence that follows, when families do not know where their loved one is or how to reach them, is one of the most anxious experiences in the entire incarceration journey. This section covers why transfers happen, how the transfer process works in federal and state systems, what diesel therapy is and why it occurs, how long the transit period typically lasts, why an inmate may temporarily disappear from the BOP locator during a transfer, and what families can do to locate their loved one and restore communication as quickly as possible. The guidance here comes from real experience with the transfer process, including what it feels like from inside and how families on the outside can best support someone going through it. See also our sections on Inmate Search, Inmate Phone Calls, and Send Inmate Mail.
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Subject: Inmate transfer
A status of "not in BOP custody" with an unknown release date does not mean he has been released. It means he is in custody somewhere that is not a Bureau of Prisons operated facility.
This status typically appears in a few specific situations. The most common is when someone is being held in a county jail or a US Marshals holding facility awaiting sentencing, designation, or a court appearance. Until the BOP formally designates an inmate to a specific federal...
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This process could take a few months before transfer (or it could be tomorrow). The issue is logistics and bed space. The offenders come into the Reception Center and are then interviewed and counseled on their upcoming sentence. There is a plan put in place, inmate programming that is recommended to the offender. Depending on how that is received by them, they'll move nim along to permanent housing which is designated by the administration, as to their custody level, etc.
Subject: Inmate transfer
try bop.gov, this is the federal inmate locator
Subject: Inmate transfer
The silence since November 13th is most likely the result of the transfer process itself rather than anything more concerning, and understanding what happens during that transition helps explain the gap.
When an inmate transfers from a county jail to a state or federal facility, they go through an Admission and Orientation process before most privileges are reinstated. Phone access and visitation are typically suspended during that period while the facility processes the new arrival, assigns housing, completes medical and classification...
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The Federal Transfer Center (FTC) in Oklahoma City is located directly on the tarmac of Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This facility is primarily designed to house holdover inmates in transit to other facilities. The mission of the FTC is to confine, on a short-term basis, inmates who are being transported through the U.S. Marshal Service, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, U.S. Parole Commission, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons transportation system. Security of the offender is maintained in...
Read moreSubject: Inmate transfer
The Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center (FRCD) is the first stop for newly incarcerated inmates confined in the Missouri Department of corrections. Depending on the assessment of the offender, they will be classified based on the age, crime convicted of, length of sentence and risk of flight. This classification will place them in a security category that aligns with the type of prison (maximum, medium, low or minimum security) they will do the balance of their sentence.
During the first two weeks...
Read moreSubject: Inmate transfer
It depends on whether this is an inter-state extradition or intra-state extradition. Most states will give another state 30 days to decided to extradite someone. On the other hand, if the extradition is between counties in the same state, the holding county will give the requesting county 48 - 72 hours to pick up an offender.
Subject: Inmate transfer
There is no fixed timeline for the transfer, and that is one of the more frustrating realities families deal with after sentencing.
The time your person has already spent in county absolutely counts toward the three-year sentence the judge imposed. Every day in county custody is credited regardless of whether the facility is classified as a jail or a penitentiary. That credit does not disappear when the transfer happens.
As for when the actual transfer occurs, that depends entirely on bed availability...
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If he is in the same system, then all money will move with him. If he is going from county to federal or state, you might check with the original facility staff to see if they are transferring the money or sending it home. If you have done anything with InmateAid, we will make the necessary changes to your account so that it fits with the new facility - no charge!
Subject: Inmate transfer
Yes, most probably, however we do not know the reason he was in protective custody so that might change when he returns.
Subject: Inmate transfer
The inmate transfer process is normally kept quiet until the move has happened. Sometimes your inmate will get a chance to call you to say "I'm getting moved tomorrow", but for the safety of the personnel transporting the offenders the date and time of transfer is not for public knowledge.
Subject: Inmate transfer
The first few days at Ouachita River are an orientation period, and understanding what that looks like helps set realistic expectations on both ends.
When an inmate arrives at a new facility after transferring from county jail, they go through intake processing before anything else. That means medical screening, classification review, property inventory, housing assignment, and an orientation to the facility's specific rules, schedules, and expectations. During that window, access to phones, commissary, and visitation is limited while staff get everyone...
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That is not normal. They do not get "a phone call" when they get there per se, they have to go through orientation before their phone and visitation privileges are offered. It might be a day or a week, depending on the facility and the intake load of new inmates.
Let us know the name of the facility, we might be able to save you money on your calls. In some cases there is a big difference between the number you use...
Read moreSubject: Inmate transfer
A cross-state transfer for someone serving 60 to 70 years for murder while in protective custody at a maximum security facility is extremely unlikely, and understanding why helps set realistic expectations.
Protective custody exists because the facility has determined the inmate cannot safely be housed in general population. That designation alone signals to any receiving institution that this person comes with significant management considerations. Moving someone in that status is not a simple administrative transfer, it requires coordination between two separate...
Read moreSubject: Inmate transfer
Fifteen days without contact is genuinely hard and the anxiety that comes with a transfer and continued silence is something families deal with more than anyone talks about openly. Here is what is likely happening and what to expect.
When an inmate is transferred from one facility to another, in this case from the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center to a facility in Canon City within the Colorado Department of Corrections, there is almost always a processing gap before full privileges...
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