Halfway houses and reentry housing in Florida

STAT BAR

67 counties · Federal BOP + Florida DOC · 30 state work release centers · Two BOP RRM regions

KEY FLORIDA FACTS

Florida has the third largest state prison system in the US (89,000+ incarcerated)

Two BOP Residential Reentry Management offices cover Florida:

RRM Orlando: northern Florida (covers Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Gainesville, Ocala, Fort Myers)

RRM Miami: southern and central Florida (covers Miami, Tampa, Orlando area, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach)

Florida DOC operates 30 Community Work Release Centers (CWRCs):

9 state-operated centers

21 privately contracted centers (nonprofit operators including The Transition House and Bridges International)

Florida also has 3 Re-Entry Centers operated by FDC (Baker Re-Entry Center and others)

Florida DOC Resource Directory: pubapps.fdc.myflorida.com/resourcedirectory/Search.aspx

Searchable by county, city, circuit, zip code, and service type

BOP FEDERAL RRC CONTACTS (Florida)

RRM ORLANDO REGION (northern Florida):

RRM Orlando Office: 6303 County Road 500, Wildwood, FL 34785

Phone: (352) 254-6140 / Fax: (352) 689-7396

Email: RRM_Orlando@bop.gov

Federal RRCs in northern Florida:

1. Salvation Army - 2400 Edison Avenue, Fort Myers, FL 33902 / (941) 332-0140

2. Ocala Community Service Center - 3820 NE 41st St., Ocala, FL 34479 / (352) 368-2127

3. Bannum Place of Orlando - 2041 Mercy Drive, Orlando, FL 32808 / (407) 522-6200

4. Pensacola Community Services Center - 5445-A Duval Street, Pensacola, FL 32503 / (850) 474-1991

5. Bannum of Tallahassee MINT - 1818 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301 / (850) 521-3431

Note: MINT = Mothers & Infants Together program - gender-specific women's program

RRM MIAMI REGION (southern/central Florida):

RRM Miami Office: contact via bop.gov

Federal RRCs in southern/central Florida: pull from bop.gov/business/rrc_directory.jsp

and federalcriminaldefenseattorney.com/federal-bureau-prisons/florida/rrm-miami/

STATE FLORIDA DOC WORK RELEASE

Florida's term: Community Work Release Center (CWRC) - not "halfway house"

Governed by: Florida Statutes §944.17 and §945.091; FDC administrative rules

Eligibility:

- Within last 10% of sentence OR within 18 months of release (whichever is less)

- Must have minimum security custody classification

- Not on death row, not serving life sentence

- 60+ days remaining on sentence at time of transfer

- No major disciplinary reports in prior 6 months

- Sexual offenders/predators: additional screening; may not be housed near schools/parks per Florida statutes

Wages at CWRCs:

45% of gross wages garnished for room and board

State may withhold additional 10% each for: restitution, court fines, child support, alimony

Remaining wages: access capped at $65/week for incidentals; rest held in savings

FDC Resource Directory covers CWRC locations statewide by county and city.

Florida's CWRC list is published on FDC website:

fdc.myflorida.com/about/facility-directory/community-release-centers

Sex offender restrictions: Florida Statute §947.1405 and §948.30 - residency restrictions

Cannot reside within 1,000 feet of school, daycare, park, playground

Many CWRCs and private halfway houses do not accept sexual predators/offenders

Must disclose prior to placement; each facility has its own screening

FIRST STEP ACT (FEDERAL INMATES)

The First Step Act of 2018 significantly expanded federal RRC eligibility:

- Up to 12 months in RRC (extended from prior limits)

- Earned Time Credits (ETCs): inmates completing approved programming earn 10-15 days off per 30 days of programming

- ETCs can be applied toward earlier RRC or home confinement placement

- Minimum security inmates with clean records may qualify for direct home confinement

Unit Team Review timeline for federal inmates:

17-19 months before release: Unit team begins eligibility review

12 months before release: BOP RRM office coordinates RRC contract placement

First Step Act target: place in RRC as early as 12 months before projected release date

INTRO

If your loved one is approaching release from prison in Florida, the path forward depends on whether they are serving a federal or state sentence. The two systems work differently, and knowing which one applies determines which facilities are available and how placement works.

For federal inmates in Florida, the Bureau of Prisons contracts with Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs) - the official term for federal halfway houses - through two regional management offices. RRM Orlando covers northern Florida from Jacksonville to Fort Myers. RRM Miami covers southern and central Florida including Tampa, Orlando, Miami, and the surrounding metro areas. Federal RRC placement is arranged by your loved one's BOP case manager as part of the release plan. Families do not apply to federal RRCs directly - the BOP makes the placement determination, typically beginning the review process 17-19 months before the projected release date.

For state inmates, the Florida Department of Corrections uses a different term entirely: Community Work Release Centers (CWRCs). Florida operates 30 of these centers statewide - 9 run directly by FDC and 21 operated by private contractors, primarily nonprofits. State inmates become eligible when they are within the last 10% of their sentence or within 18 months of release, whichever is less, and must hold minimum security classification.

The First Step Act of 2018 changed the calculus significantly for federal inmates. Earned Time Credits now allow eligible inmates to apply programming completions toward earlier RRC placement - potentially accessing a halfway house up to 12 months before their release date.

HOW FEDERAL RRC PLACEMENT WORKS IN FLORIDA

Federal inmates approaching release in Florida are assigned to either RRM Orlando (northern Florida) or RRM Miami (southern and central Florida) depending on where they plan to release. The BOP's preference under the First Step Act is to place inmates as close as possible to their release residence.

The process begins with the unit team review 17-19 months before the projected release date. The case manager, counselor, and unit manager evaluate eligibility - program participation, disciplinary history, release plan, community ties. The RRM office then coordinates a specific RRC placement.

Families cannot choose the specific RRC facility, but they can advocate for placement near the release address. Attorneys or prison consultants can assist with placement advocacy, particularly for expanding the placement from home confinement to a longer RRC stay or vice versa.

Federal RRCs in Florida offer: employment counseling, job placement assistance, financial management, substance abuse treatment (final phase of RDAP completed at RRC), and in the case of Bannum Tallahassee - the Mothers & Infants Together (MINT) program for pregnant women or women with infants.

HOW FLORIDA STATE CWRC PLACEMENT WORKS

For state inmates, eligibility for a Community Work Release Center requires:

Minimum security classification - inmates with close or medium custody are not eligible

Within the last 10% of sentence or 18 months from release (whichever is less)

At least 60 days remaining on sentence at time of transfer

No major disciplinary reports in the prior 6 months

Clean substance abuse screening

Inmates do not apply independently. FDC case managers initiate the review. Inmates can express a preference for which CWRC they would like based on county of release, but assignment depends on bed availability and eligibility.

At a Florida CWRC, state inmates work paid jobs in the community and return to the center each night. Wages are garnished: 45% for room and board, with additional garnishments for court-ordered financial obligations. The remaining wages build savings for post-release life.

FLORIDA'S RESOURCE DIRECTORY

The Florida DOC maintains a searchable Resource Directory covering reentry services statewide beyond just work release centers. It includes transitional housing providers, substance abuse programs, employment assistance, mental health services, and faith-based reentry programs, searchable by county, city, circuit, zip code, or service type.

Access: pubapps.fdc.myflorida.com/resourcedirectory/Search.aspx

Contact for updates: DC-ResourceDirectory@fdc.myflorida.com / (850) 922-2238

SEX OFFENDER RESTRICTIONS IN FLORIDA

Florida has strict residency restrictions for sexual offenders and predators under Florida Statute §947.1405 and §948.30. Anyone required to register as a sex offender cannot reside within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare, park, or playground. This affects both which facilities are available and where in a city the person can live after release.

Many Florida CWRCs and private halfway houses do not accept sexual predators. For state inmates in this category, FDC conducts additional placement screening. For federal inmates, the BOP coordinates with U.S. Probation to identify compliant housing before placement is finalized.

Families of registrants should contact FDC or their loved one's case manager well in advance of release to identify compliant housing options.

FLORIDA DOC REENTRY CONTACT

Florida Department of Corrections

Office of Reentry: fdc.myflorida.com/offender/reentry.html

FDC Community Release Centers: fdc.myflorida.com/about/facility-directory/community-release-centers

FDC Resource Directory: pubapps.fdc.myflorida.com/resourcedirectory/Search.aspx

FDC Offender Search: offenderdb.fdc.myflorida.com

FDC: (850) 488-5021 / fdc.myflorida.com

BOP RRM Orlando: (352) 254-6140 / 6303 County Road 500, Wildwood, FL 34785

BOP RRM Miami: see bop.gov for current contact

Florida Re-Entry Coalition: flreentrycoalition.org

Florida Legal Services: floridalegal.org / (850) 385-9007

211 Florida: dial 211 - statewide referral for reentry housing and services

CITY/COUNTY GRID

All 67 Florida counties - pills linking to city directory pages

[same county list as bail bonds directory]