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.
Subject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
The 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).
Subject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
The 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 and at...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
There 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. Also not eligible for...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
FCI 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 submitted to...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
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...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
There 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 to carve...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
The Presentence Investigation Report cannot be amended after sentencing. That document is finalized and sealed as part of the court record, and there is no standard process for going back to add information that was withheld or omitted at the time of the original interview.
The advice your husband received from his attorney to withhold substance abuse history was poorly considered and has created a real problem. RDAP eligibility in the federal system requires documented evidence of a substance abuse disorder,...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
We would consider taking a substance abuse course in prison a "good thing". Judges can order the course be taken or the offender can be fortunate enough to be invited. These courses are more about behavior modification than treating an addiction. Everyone that is incarcerated SHOULD try to get into these course. In prison, getting illegal drugs is highly unlikely so most offenders are not in the middle of an addiction which makes taking the course even easier. Some facilities will...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
There are drug classes available in the Alabama Department of Corrections, however they are not offered at every facility. If they apply for and are accepted into the program, they will be transferred to the location where the classes are taught.
Subject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
RDAP stands for the Residential Drug Abuse Program. It is a federal Bureau of Prisons program, meaning it exists specifically within the federal prison system and is not available at state facilities under that name or with those exact benefits.
For federal inmates, RDAP is one of the most valuable programs available. Completing it can take up to 12 months off a sentence and guarantees six months of halfway house placement on the back end. That combination makes a significant difference...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
The options are more limited than most people expect. For the vast majority of state inmates, programming does not directly reduce the release date. Good time is calculated upfront and built into the first projected release date the inmate sees. Completing programs does not add more time off, though it can prevent the loss of good time credits already granted.
The major exception is RDAP, the Residential Drug Abuse Program, which is available only in the federal Bureau of Prisons system....
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
Getting to the camp is what all federal inmates strive for - it's the easiest time to do in the BOP. All federal inmates follow the same guidelines for release. Good time is 15% of the sentence that is granted to the inmate when they report - all they can do is lose good time, they can't gain more good time. Their release date reflects doing 85% of the sentence. RDAP is the only real way to get an earlier...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
RDAP stands for Residential Drug Abuse Program which is found only in the federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmates that qualify for RDAP will get up to twelve months off of their sentence and a guaranteed six months of halfway house. RDAP is a fantastic nine-month program that has had a positive impact on inmate's personal development - addresses behavioral modifications more than strictly focused on drug addiction or dependency. There are defined guidelines as to who can and cannot get...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
Once you are approved by Texas for inclusion into an RDAP class your out date will then change on the BOP website. The date will be calculated like this: 30 - 6 = 24 x .85. Sentence duration is 20.4 months but your release date from the camp will be at 14.4 months, assuming that you get 6 months of halfway house. Once in the halfway house if you have an approved residence and a job, you could get home...
Read moreSubject: Residential drug abuse program (rdap)
The PSR specifically has to have drug or alcohol abuse or dependency detailed within twelve months of the crime; not necessarily a psychologist's recommendation. You will have a meeting with the psychology department, the interviewer will have you PSR and will know whether you are within the guidelines to get in. They will get your application in, they send it to Beaumont TX for approval. If you are approved, you will go to the RDAP wait list until you get...
Read more


