Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) — Ask the Inmate
RDAP is the most significant sentence reduction program available in the federal prison system and one of the least understood. Eligible inmates who complete the nine month Residential Drug Abuse Program can reduce their sentence by up to 12 months and receive priority placement for up to six months in a halfway house, a combined benefit that can amount to 18 months earlier at home. But qualification requires documentation established before sentencing, program availability varies by facility, and the process of getting and staying in the program has its own challenges. This section covers who qualifies for RDAP, how to establish eligibility before sentencing, what the program involves from day to day, how to protect your RDAP status from loss due to disciplinary infractions, what happens after completing the residential phase, and how RDAP interacts with First Step Act earned time credits. See also our sections on Halfway House, Sentence Reduction, and Re-entry and Rehabilitation.
Completing RDAP is a significant achievement but understanding how the benefit actually works will help you protect it all the way through to release. Here is the complete picture. The Basic Qualifications To qualify for the full 12 month sentence reduction you must have a sentence of at least 37 months. The program itself takes 9 months to complete. The BOP tries to get eligible inmates into the program with roughly 9 to 10 months remaining on
Read moreGetting into RDAP is the first battle. Staying in it is the second and in some ways harder one. Here is what most people do not know going in. RDAP participants are housed together in a dedicated unit and identified by a yellow belt. Everyone knows who you are and what program you are in. That visibility is a double-edged sword. The jealousy problem is real. Not everyone can get into RDAP. Inmates with violence in their
Read moreThe Residential Drug Abuse Program, known as RDAP, is one of the most valuable tools available to federal inmates. Successful completion can reduce your sentence by up to 12 months. But the window to qualify for it closes earlier than most people realize, often before they ever report to a facility. Here is what most attorneys do not tell you and what most defendants figure out too late. RDAP eligibility requires a documented history of substance abuse. The
Read moreThe Satellite Prison Camp (SCP) at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Florence in Colorado offers various programs and facilities for inmates. Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP): As of the latest available information, SCP Florence continues to provide the RDAP, a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program aimed at reducing recidivism and promoting successful reintegration into society. Inmates who complete RDAP may be eligible for certain benefits, including potential sentence reductions. Bureau of Prisons Recreational Facilities: Regarding recreational amenities,
Read moreThe RDAP program is inside the prison not off-site. The inmates are under the care and supervision of the psychology department (they run the program).
Read moreThe most significant and long-standing federal drug treatment program is RDAP, the Residential Drug Abuse Program, which has been operating for about 30 years. It is not new but it remains the most impactful program available to federal inmates with documented substance abuse histories. RDAP is an intensive nine to twelve-month residential treatment program offered at select Bureau of Prisons facilities. For eligible inmates who successfully complete it, the benefits are substantial. Up to 12 months off the sentence
Read moreThere are several facilities specifically for sex offenders, the most notable is FCI Tuscon. The RDAP program might allow a non-violent sex offender with another layer of administrative scrutiny. Since we do not know the wording in the Judgment and Commitment Order, we don't want to give you false hope. Reasons for non-eligibility: Inmates not eligible for early release include those who have a prior felony or misdemeanor conviction for homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, or child sexual abuse.
Read moreFCI Jesup does offer RDAP, the Residential Drug Abuse Program, which is the most significant sentence reduction program available in the federal system. Completing RDAP takes a full 12 months off the sentence and adds an automatic six months of halfway house placement on the back end. For eligible inmates at Jesup, that is the most powerful tool available for shortening actual time served. Eligibility is the critical factor and it is determined entirely by the Presentence Investigation Report
Read moreRDAP 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
Read moreThere are no federal sentences that force an inmate into drug rehabilitation. Your inmate was NOT sentenced in federal court to do RDAP, if they get it it's great, but it's not a part of the sentence at all. It could be a recommendation but the Federal Bureau of Prisons makes all the decisions, the judge has nothing to do with it once they are property of the BOP. RDAP is voluntary, but if eligible, it is the only way
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