What you should know about halfway houses

By providing a safe and supportive environment, individuals in sober living homes can access the resources they need to successfully transition into everyday life. Consider a halfway house if you or someone you know is seeking a place to live that offers support and guidance. If you are interested in learning more about sober living homes or finding one in Austin, Texas, don’t hesitate to contact us. Halfway houses, also known as Sober Living Homes (SLHs), provide housing and support for individuals with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) who are transitioning out of drug or alcohol rehab. To give residents of halfway houses the best chance at success, these transitional housing establishments may be divided by gender; there can be a men’s halfway house and one specifically designed to serve women.

The gruesome portrayal of halfway houses in the media can often be the catalyst for formal audits of these facilities. But it should be noted that regular monitoring, auditing, and data reporting should be the norm in the first place. Halfway houses are just as much a part of someone’s prison sentence as incarceration itself, but they are subject to much less scrutiny than prisons and jails. This lack of guidelines and oversight has ensured that people in halfway houses are not being aided in safely and effectively rebuilding their lives after serving time in jails and prisons. It’s past time to start implementing oversight measures and extensive reforms that keep residents safe and help the halfway house experience feel more like reentry – and less like an extension of the carceral experience. Subsequent audits identified a number of major staffing issues, including high turnover rates and misconduct.

Poor conditions and bad incentives make halfway houses hotspots for COVID-19

Reports from 2013 show that inmates in halfway houses fell by 9,300 inmates with a total of approximately 41,000 inmates entering halfway houses in 2013. Part of the reason for the decline of inmates in halfway houses are that the U.S. Sentencing Commissions makes rules and regulations on which inmates are eligible to serve their sentence out in the halfway house. These rules and regulations change and inmates become ineligible to move from the jail or prison to a halfway house.

• These supportive communities offer access to resources like healthcare, job search assistance, and vocational training.
• First we will address the halfway house, since the halfway house comes first for most inmates.
• Plus, New Life House is a long-term sober living facility, so by the time you are done with sober living, you’ll have a much great chance of staying sober.

During the entire halfway house process, the inmate remains in the “custody” of the Bureau of Prisons. At all times, the inmate must abide by BOP rules or he will be subject to a disciplinary infraction that could return him to prison. The Case Manager will admonish him prior to his departure from the institution halfway house activity and the staff members at the halfway house will warn him of his precarious liberty upon arrival. Although each individual must make up his own mind on whether a halfway house will serve his interests, at Prison Professor, we encourage individuals to leave prison at the soonest possible time.

Drug Rehab

As the Medical Director, Mark works with the staff to coordinate the appropriate level of care for each individual client. He works directly with the clients on management of medical issues both related to and separate from their addiction, ensuring comprehensive health care plans that ensure our clients’ chances at recovery. What he has found to be most rewarding about working in the addictions treatment field is being able to help suffering addicts and alcoholics to realize their fullest potential. In addition to the title of Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Kevin is also licensed by the state of Maryland as a Clinical Drug and Alcohol Counselor. He holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling and has over 26 years of experience as a substance use/mental health counselor with the Montgomery County Government.

Staff members will provide the inmate with travel accommodations if necessary, such as a bus pass and a plane ticket. In the alternative, an inmate’s family members may pick him up and transport him to the halfway house. The Case Manager will provide the inmate with a detailed itinerary and the inmate must agree to abide by that itinerary. Frequently, the halfway house will make use of an electronic monitoring device for inmates on home confinement. First we will address the halfway house, since the halfway house comes first for most inmates. Everyone facing time in federal prison looks forward to putting the confinement portion of his predicament in the past.

Child Custody & Support

However, recent investigative reports suggest that the real numbers are even higher, as the BOP continues to underreport cases in RRCs and state-level data is nearly non-existent. One reason that we know more about federal than state-level halfway houses has to do with the contracting process. Federally contracted halfway houses are called Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs). State-licensed halfway houses can be referred to by a variety of terms, like Transitional Centers, Reentry Centers, Community Recovery Centers, etc. These facilities work with corrections departments to house individuals leaving incarceration, often as a condition of parole or other post-release supervision or housing plan. If you’re committed to living a sober lifestyle but aren’t ready to transition to life at home, a halfway house is a great option to consider.

Moreover, abstinent rates remained fairly consistent over the 12- and 18-month points. The research demonstrated that people who achieved abstinence after departing from a Substance https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/choosing-sobriety-gifts-10-great-ideas-to-consider/ Abuse Home were likely to maintain their sobriety. Most prominently, active participation in a 12-step program was identified as the foremost predictor of positive outcomes.

Who Can Live In A Halfway House?

Halfway houses offer a safe place for individuals in recovery to stay while they work on rebuilding their lives. They provide a structured environment that is designed to help residents develop the skills they need to become self-sufficient and successful in their community. Halfway houses usually have a set of rules and guidelines that residents must follow, such as attending counseling or therapy sessions, participating in group activities, and adhering to a curfew.

• Residents are all going through a similar process, and the staff creates a sense of structure.
• As of August 18, federal Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs) had 122 active cases, and 9 deaths, of coronavirus among halfway house residents nationwide.
• Mark joined the medical team at The Freedom Center in September 2018 as the Medical Director.
• This is just one of many advantages that come with residing at a Sober Living Home affiliated with your former treatment center.
• Staff members may offer counseling, therapy, and other services to help residents address the underlying issues that led to their addiction or mental health issues.