FAQ
What age range are the residents?
All residents are adults with the minimum age of 18 years old. This facility is different from a juvenile detention center.
How long were the residents in prison?
The length of prison term varies. The majority of the residents have been incarcerated for less than 10 years. Some residents are even sentenced directly to a Residential Reentry Center.
Did the residents commit violent crimes?
The majority of residents of a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) are there for low-level crimes. Only 3.2% of all Bureau of Prisons inmates committed crimes like homicide, aggrevated assault or kidnapping.
Can the residents come and go as they please?
No. Residents are only allowed out of the Residential Reentry Center (RRC) facility for certain actitivies (work, counseling, looking for work, worship, etc), and those must be approved in advance. Residents have a sign-in / sign-out procedure. Residents are also GPS-tracked 24/7, even when they’re away from the facility.,
Who is watching the residents?
There is a staff of 20-25 people working at the facility, including at least 2 residential monitor positions that are staffed around the clock – 24/7.
Why should the residents go to an Residential Reentry Center (RRC) instead of just going home?
A Residential Reentry Center (RRC) provides residents an opportunity to transition back to society by helping with life skills (anger management, journaling, parenting, resume writing, interviewing, etc) and job placement so they’re ready to be on their own. By having new skills, getting a stable job, and finding a good place to live, residents are much less likely to commit new crimes after they’re released.
How do you keep the Residential Reentry Center safe?
We have 24/7 staff watching the residents and the facility. All exit doors have alarms. There are cameras inside and outside the facility. All residents are GPS-tracked 24/7.
Are there cameras at the Residential Reentry Center?
Yes – there are cameras inside and outside of the facility.
Can the residents have cars?
Yes, but many start by using public transportation to get to their jobs. You typically wouldn’t be able to tell the residents from anyone else because they just want to live a normal life.
Where do the residents work?
The residents have jobs like anyone else, based on their skills, experience, and interests. Some develop new skills after arriving at the Residential Reentry Center to help them advance their careers.
What do the residents do during the day?
When they first arrive to the Residential Reentry Center, residents will be focused on preparing for their job search with gathering personal documents and working with our Employment Specialist to develop a resume. After that, they focus on interviewing skills and other core classes. Once they have a job, the residents’ time is mostly spent working off-site and attending more life skills and personal development classes at the RRC. Residents also have recreation spaces including a cardio room, living room, library, computer room, and outdoor areas for their downtime.
How do you know the residents won't cause more crime in the neighborhood?
As part of the CARES Act in 2020, the Bureau of Prisons released over 11,000 inmates to Residential Reentry Centers (RRC’s) and Home Confinement. Per a BOP study, those inmates committed only 15 new crimes, only 1 of which was violent.
Will my family be safe near the Residential Reentry Center?
The residents of a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) adhere to strict schedules. If they’re out of the facility it’s for a specific purpose, with a specific path they’ll travel. The residents have gone through multiple reviews from their previous prison staff AND the Residential Reentry staff. The Bureau of Prisons does not move inmates to a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) if there’s a liklihood of risk to the public.
Are the residents still serving prison time?
Yes, residents of a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) are typically serving the last months of their prison sentences. This is typically the approximate last 10% of their sentence.
How long do residents stay at the facility?
This varies based on a resident’s specific situation, but typically 3-12 months.
Can people visit the facility whenever they'd like?
No. Family visitation is very limited. Residents of a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) adhere to a strict schedule and they’re focused on preparing a productive/successful life after release. It is not open to the public.
What kinds of resources do the residents have?
The typical Residential Reentry Center (RRC) resident arrives with very little as they come directly from prison. The RRC provides each resident with a case worker and employment specialist. The RRC also has a computer room where residents can conduct their job search and prepare resumes. In addition. the RRC has classes on resume writing, interviewing, journaling, and other life and personal development skills.
How do the residents look for jobs?
The residents have multiple computer labs at the Residential Reentry Center (RRC) where they can take computer literacy courses along with typing and coding courses. They also use these computers to search for jobs.
Does concentrating this many criminals result in higher crime?
No. Residents of a Residential Reentry Center have gone through multiple selection rounds and have demonstrated their desire to make a better life for themselves after being released. Advantage Reentry Services emphasizes this notion by creating a positive, challenging environment that encourages self-improvement and positive change. In addition, a Bureau of Prisons study of over 11,000 inmates released in 2020 as part of the CARES Act, there were just 15 new crimes.
Do the residents want to work at my business?
When they arrive at the Residential Reentry Center (RRC), residents will certainly be looking for jobs. The facility also encourages residents to learn new skills including computer coding, leadership, negotiation, and obtain hard skills like CDL licenses. If you have a business that needs good workers, please contact us directly.
When can the residents leave the facility?
Residents must get approval to leave the facility, including where they’re going, what they’re going for, when they’re going, and the route they’ll take. Residents are typically allowed to leave for work, job interviews, worship, and necessary appointments.
How do you know the residents are where they're supposed to be?
Advantage Reentry Services partners with TrackTech to provide each Resident with a hardened smartphone to provide realtime GPS tracking. Additionally, the software provides instant alerts when Residents proceed outside of their geofenced boundaries.
Will people be loitering outside this facility?
There is no loitering allowed. Residents have an outdoor recreation area that is fenced and not visible or accessible to the public. Otherwise, Residents are expected to be inside the facility unless on approved business outside.
How often do you check the residents' locations?
The GPS tracking software has a ping rate of 10 seconds, which means we check each Resident’s location approximately every 10 seconds. If a Resident isn’t where he/she is supposed to be, the system issues an alert to our 24/7 monitoring staff. In addition, Residents are required to check in using the biometric functions on their device at random times throughout the day and Residents are visually counted by monitoring staff while in the facility.
Is the facility monitored by Police Officers?
The facility is monitored by residential monitors, not Police Officers. In many jurisdictions their qualifications are very similar though.
What kinds of crimes did the residents commit?
Residents of a Residential Reentry Center are selected based on a thorough review from numerous Bureau of Prisons staff. While inmates having committed any offense could eventually be eligible to live in an RRC, Residents have typically committed lower-level, non-violent crimes.
What security level prison did the residents come from?
Residents of a Residential Reentry Center are selected based on a thorough review from numerous Bureau of Prisons staff. While inmates from all security levels could be eligible for review, only those who meet the BOP’s qualifications (including good behavior and not being deemed a threat to society) will make the cut. Typically, RRC Residents come from low and minimum security prisons.
What's the process for a resident to go from prison to a Residential Reentry Center?
Generally speaking, it is a 2-stage, 5-step review process. This is all determined by the Bureau of Prisons.
Where are facilities like this typically located?
Residential Reentry Centers are typically located close to the jobs and services their residents need. Many locations are near or adjacent to single-family homes or in a transition area between a commercial/industrial area and a residential area.
Will children or families live at the facility?
Children and families will not live in the facility.
Will there be males and females?
Residential Reentry Centers typically house both males and females, with their sleeping and living quarters being seperated.
Where do the residents eat?
The residents eat in a common dining room in the facility.
Can the residents visit their friends and family?
Residents can only leave a Residential Reentry Center after obtaining approval to do so. Family visits are not typically approved for newer residents, but some residents (later in their stay at the RRC) can earn the privilege of family visits as they get closer to living on their own.
Describe a typical resident of this type of facility
Residents are typically from low or minimum security facilities with non-violent offenses. Any resident must pass a multi-level review process with feedback from multiple Bureau of Prisons staff members and be deemed to have little risk to society.
How often do residents commit new crimes?
Based on data from a Bureau of Prisons study, over 11,000 inmates were released to Residential Reentry Centers and Home Confinement as part of the 2020 CARES Act. Those inmates committed 15 new crimes for a recidivism rate of 0.13%
What activites can the residents leave for?
Any leave must be pre-approved, including details like the purpose, the timing, the route, and who the Resident will see. Residents are typically allowed to leave for work, job seeking, worship, and necessary appointments (doctor, outside counseling, etc)
Who watches the residents when the managers aren't there?
Advantage Reentry Services has multiple residential montors on-site 24/7.
Who oversees the facility?
The facility is overseen by a Facility Director with applicable work experience and education, along with our VP of Compliance who has almost 30 years of experience in the corrections and Residential Reentry industry.
What are the qualifications for working at a Residential Reentry Center?
Qualifications vary from a high school diploma to 5 years work experience and a master’s degree. Each position has specific requirements establisehd by the Bureau of Prisons.
Does the Residential Residential Center staff have guns and/or are they armed?
The staff is not armed. There are no weapons allowed on the RRC property. No Resident is allowed at any time to have a weapon regardless of where they are physically as they are still under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Prisons.
How do you know the residents don't sneak out at night?
Advantage Reentry Services has alarmed exit doors and multiple cameras inside and outside the facility, along with 24/7 residential monitors.
What do the Police think of Residential Reentry Centers?
In general, Police see a Residential Reentry Center as a benefit to society. Inmates will be released from prison with or without going to an RRC. However, the additional structure, education, and support of an RRC allows inmates to have an easier transtion back to society, thereby reducing recidivism rates.