Responding to outcry from prisoners who’ve been devastated by their half-way house dates being pushed back, (even the day before some were set to release) CAN-DO performed a survey to verify this is not happening to “only 1% of the total number of beds under contract” as stated by a BOP Spokesperson who misled Reuters when questioned about this issue.
To date, 16 halfway house contracts have been cancelled and the maximum amount of half-way house time awarded to most prisoners is now 4 months, instead of 6-12 months.
Half-Way House Survey Questions 10/22/17
CAN-DO asked the following questions and below are the answers from only a small percentage of prisoners who responded.
1.Name plus institution where you are
2. Date of original half-way house
3. New Date for half-way
4. If you have it – your home confinement date
5. what city and state you are releasing to
6. DID YOU SIGN A CONTRACT for the original half-way?
7. How did this impact you and your family?
8. What were you told by case manager as to the reason this was happening?
9. Approximately, how many people at your institution have had their dates pushed back?
Lori Kavitz – was the FIRST prisoner we heard about on August 27th.
1. Lori Kavitz Coleman Camp
2. Nov 17, 2017
3. Mar 01, 2018
4. Mar 17, 2018
5. Sioux City, Iowa
6. Yes
7. I had already asked my rental tenets to move out and my sons had already purchased my plane ticket
8. Closing in my general area due to shortage of federal funds
9. 100’s in the entire complex (7000 inmates) have lost half-way house dates.
1. Shawnta Jones
2. Oct 24, 2017
3. May 6, 2018
4. Jan 20, 2018
5. Detroit, MI
6. Yes
7. Ticket was already paid for plane and 17 yr old daughter and 73 yr old Mother were devasted
8. Case Manager never informed her as she wasn’t on any of the lists…..she stopped in to verify her release date 12 days before her release and was informed her date had changed without any explanation at all…..
9. Around 20 at the camp
1. Lawrence Brown #42320-424
2. Original Halfway House Date: 10-23-2017
3. New Halfway House Date: 02-21-2018
4. His home confinement eligibility was: 09-23-2017 (Last 6 months of his sentence he is eligible for Home Confinement.
5. Chicago, IL.
6. Yes
7. He was devastated and appalled. (see #8)
8. He was told around 10 days before his Halfway House date that it was being taken away. Called him into the center office to share the horrible news. He was informed that his new date would be 02-21-2018. So instead of getting 5 months Halfway House, he instead is getting 28 days Halfway House.
9. At least 7-8 people here so far have had their date taken.
BONUS: Also, it should be noted that Mr. Brown has served a 75 months sentence. He informed this prison that he had no place of residence to return to in Chicago as his entire family is now in Michigan. Therefore, he needed the extra time in the Halfway House to find employment and hopefully be able to save some funds to establish and find a home.
1. Tara Cox FMC Lexington Satellite camp
2. 11/21/2017
3. 3/21/2018
4. home confinement date- 11/21/2017
5. Chicago, Illinois
6. Yes signed a contract for original half-way house
7. We are devastated to just now find out that i will not be home for another 4 months. plans were made for travel and my business may possibly suffer due to me not getting released on my original date.
8. Was told there were not any beds available at the half-way house
9. 40 that I know of.
1. Latasha Weatherall FMC Lexington Satellite Camp
2. 10/24/2017
3. 11/14/2017
4. 10/22/2017
5. Chicago. Il
6. Yes, signed a contract for original date
7. Words can’t explained how heartbreaking it was for her to tell her children 11 days before she was due to be home that she wasn’t coming. Her plane ticket was already purchased months in advanced & no one is refunding her family the money. I watched her just cry & cry for hours.
8. The case mangers are saying it’s not on them, they have no control over what is happening. They can’t even tell her whether she will remain at the halfway house once she is there or if she’ll be on home confinement.
9. 40 that I know of
1 Lisa Vogt Bryan Federal Prison Camp
2 Nov.1,2017
3 None
4 Dec.1,2017
5 San Antonio, Texas
6 She doesn’t think so
7 It has made a huge impact on her, father is an amputee and is healing from a triple bypass surgery he is also the only provider for her children and was expecting her to come home very soon to help with the care of her girls and him as well. Plus due to the fact that he is getting ready to turn himself in to do about 10 years himself. He was getting ready to prepare himself for the next chapter in his life once he got his girls (daughter and grandkids) in order.
8 No reason was given just that her date was taken and was not going home
9 15 dates have been pushed back or taken as of this date
Cedric Dean – FCI Elkton
FACTS OF CEDRIC DEAN HALFWAY HOUSE PROBLEM
* Cedric Dean, Register No. 11907-058
*Federal Offense Date: 1-20-1995
* Federal Offenses: Crack Cocaine
* Sentence: Life plus 5 years (5-20-1996)
* Sentence reductions for crack and drug amendments: 2009 (35 years) 2012 (27 years) 2015 (24 years and 4 months)
* Sentencing Judge Max O. Cogburn did a special recommendation order in Feb. 2017 for maximum amount of halfway house placement
* FCI Elkton Warden recommended (in April 2017) 12 months halfway house placement
* Residential Reentry Manager approved judge and warden recommendation for 12 months in May 2017
* Halfway House Director set acceptance date for November 7, 2017
October 5, 2017 BOP cuts changed halfway house placement from November 7, 2017 to July 3, 2018 (12 months to 4 months)
1. Terry Anderson SFF/Hazelton 08344-0
2. 4/1/18
3. 8/1/18
4.
5. Tyler Tx 903-593-2020
6. no
7. Very hard after being down 22yrs and got the clemency and will graduate RDAP March 1/18, I felt like i should leave
right after graduation, lost my father 3 months ago and my mother is very old and home alone.
8. No beds available, I was suppose to go to the Northern dist. and they are sending me to the eastern Dist. Saying thats the
closest date they could get.
9. more then i can count.
1. Joshua A. Petrosino #72460-061
2. Orig date: 12/20/2017
3. New date: 2/27/2018
4. Home confinement date unknown, GCT out date is 4/18/2018
5. Dayton, OH
6. He did sign contract
7.Family (no kids) are upset
8.Case Manager said there was change for unknown reasons.
9. Some others are told halfway houses too full
1.David Maldonado #40173-424
2.Orig date: October 18, 2017
3.New Date: December 5, 2017
4.Home confinement unknown, GCT release date Jan 5, 2018
5.Going to Chicago, IL
6.He Did sign a contract
7.Children 15 yrs and 8 yrs are very upset
8.No reason for change given; sometimes staff say halfway houses
too full.
Deborah Theeler is here at Bryan, Texas with me. We are both in RDAP and was granted clemency by President Obama. After completing RDAP, she was scheduled to go home the same day as me (Dec. 14th. 2017).
Her new date is in February 2018.
Her home confinement date is the same as mine, 12/10/2017.
She was releasing to Iowa.
Her family is devastated and have frantically been calling the halfway house in her district. They keep telling her that they are expecting her on 12/14/2017, but this institution is telling her something different.
She was told that the half-way house in her town was closed down.
1.) Jessica Helen Bellis,
2.) The original date was Jan. 17, 2018,
3.) New date is March 14, 2018,
4.) Home confinement is April 12, 2018,
5.) Beaumont Tx.,
6.) Yes she signed a contract,
7.) The impact is my daughters birthday is Jan. 16, 2018 whom I haven’t seen since 2013 amongst the birth of my newborn granddauhgter. My mother has dementia and we don’t know how long she will survive this illness and she looks at my pictures everyday praying and waiting for me to come home. She is in Groves Tx. Every time she ask me when I’m coming home she believes me but that hasn’t happen yet. She is 84 years of age. Not to mention I got slid back in the R-dap program because I had to go out on a Federal writ that wasn’t my case!
8.) My case manager told me I’m not the first nor will I be the last to get my date changed! They have changed it to…..She gave me my new date and said this all has to do with the budget cuts…..Your not getting your 180 days but at least your getting 120 days.
9.) I will find out how many people got pushed back I know of 3 so far but I will have to get there info tomorrow bc there not in this unit.
I spoke with the warden regarding this issue last week Amy and he told me that there taking this by a case-by-case basis and as of now Florida or Louisiana hasn’t backed out of there contract. Not to say they wont but just pray! I will fill U in more tomorrow k?
1. Steven Smiley #48218-039 @ FCI McKean
2. 12/14/2017
3. 3/7/2018
4. 12/6/2017
5. Flint, MI
6. YES
7. Family is devastated by the news, especially my 9 year old son
8. Budget changes
9. Too many people from OH and MI to count. It’s become a common story at this facility.
Alicia Siller – clemency recipient 10/23/2017. Bryan Texas
I just found out my half-way house date got pushed back.
Alicia Siller
FPC Bryan
Dec. 14,2017
Feb. 5, 2018
Ft. Worth TX.
I did sign my half-way house papers.
My family was planing on me being home for christmas and my daughters birthday.
That it was not them it is coming from granbury tx
1. Chery Gonzalez – Victorville Women’s Camp
2. February 22, 2018
3. April 23, 2018
4. April 19, 2018
5. Riverside, CA – Rubedough
7. My family was counting on me to come home and start working. We are struggling and the sooner I get out so I can help provide, the better. I have 3 children still living in my home.
8. I was told that they didnt have enough beds/funding. More and more people are being told ever day…at least 40 or more.
1. Samantha Romero – Victoville Camp
2. January 9, 2018
3. March 4, 2018
4. February 25, 2018
5. Brawley, CA
7. This has impacted me a lot because my dreams of being home soon have been crushed. Also, that means I have to wait more time to see my family. I have only seen my parents once throughout the duration of my incarceration and now I have to stay here. This has impacted my family a lot, especially my brother and sister. Now that my date has changed they have to re-ask for this new date and they dont know if their boss will give them their new date.
8. I was told by my case manager that because there were no more funds.
*******
1. Rayvenna Puella – #08326408, Victorville Camp
2. October 26, 2017
3. No new date
4. December 18, 2017
7. My plans of being with my daughter.
8. No Beds available
******
1. Judith Rollins – Victorville CAmp
2. RDAP Complete – 1 yr halfway house 04/19/2017 – Was given date of 10/24/17
3. 10/20/17 was give a new date of 12/20/17
5. Van Nuys, CA
7. Family is devistated
8. Overbooked on halfway house beds.
****
1. Carmen Luera #66649-112, Victorville Camp
2. 09/19/17
3. 11/13/17
4. 11/6/17
**Actually leaving on BOP Date of 12/17/17
*****
Tina Tran, Victorville Camp
Christina Rodriguez, Victorville Camp
Renteria, Patricia, Victorville Camp
Name – Tristan Brennand 46100-086, serving 48 month sentence- FCI Phoenix
-My original date was January 17th, 2018.
-Last week I was notified it was changed to March 17, 2018
-My Home Confinement date is July 15th I believe.
-I`m releasing to Tacoma Washington
-I signed a contract
-This impacts me because I don`t think I will be able to get clothes, hygiene, my drivers license reinstated, and save up to move into an apartment within 4 months while living in the halfway house. I am releasing with little to no financial assistance and will be reliant solely on myself. The fact that the halfway house will also be taking 25% of my check before taxes once I receive a job will not make any of this any easier. The 6 months I was going to receive would`ve enabled me to transition better to the community and also allow myself to save up for the essential things I`ll need following my stay at the halfway house.
-This impacts my family because they rely on me heavily and had already started making preparations for my release. I had friends research the deadline to sign up for college classes I was going to attend at Bellevue College in Bellevue Washington and I am now not going to make the deadline for the quarter.
-I was told by my Case Manager that this happened to me because of “budget constraints”.
-There are many people getting their dates taken at this institution. From what I`ve seen, it`s not happening to people that are releasing to a halfway house with more than 1 halfway house in the district. For example, I`m from the District of Western Washington, which includes the Tacoma and Seattle halfway house, and people are getting their dates changed. However people from places like Nevada (Las Vegas halfway house) and Utah (Salt Lake City halfway house) are not getting their date changed.
1. Barbara McCawley 17937-045, FCI Dublin
2. 11-13-17
3. 1-2-17
4. Unknown
5. Riverside, CA
6. Yes (1 yr recommended)
7. Shocking, disappointing, confusing
8. Unforeseen circumstances beyond your control
9. A Bunch: Angel Chavez, tarah Baker, Maria Sanabria [more info to follow]
1. Tarah Baker, Dublin
2. 10-18-17
3. 1-2-18
4. 11-22-17
5. Riverside, CA
6. Yes
7. Children and parents were heartbroken, confused, and disappointed
8. Budget cuts
9. —
More:
1. Maria Acuna 32444-408 Dublin
2. 11-2-17
3. 1-31-18
4. —
5. Yuma, AZ
6. Yes
7. Disappointment, sad, and devastated
8. That there was no room, priority give to R-Dap
9. Last count 10
Rose summers sent:
1. Starlene DeLeCruz
2. Fmc Carswell-Camp
3. January 16,2018
4. February 25, 2018
5. Lubbock, Texas
6. no
7. I have less time to prepare for my release, which gives me less time to save money for a place for me and my kids to live. My kids are very disappointed.
8. My case manager said that region sent an email and changed our dates. the case manager said it was out of there control.
9. Not certain, but I know at least 25 here at the camp and 25 at the FMC Carswell across the street.
1. Gloria Canada # 52522-037
FMC Carswell – Camp
2. November 14, 2017
3. January 11, 2018
4. home confinement date: November 10, 2017
5. Baltimore, MD.
6. Yes, one in March 13, 2017 and received my date on April 10, 2017
7. My family and I were looking forward for me to be home for the holidays after serving 5 years and 4 months. Also, my train ticket had been paid for on Aug. 31, 2017 since my date was changed I had to pay $41.00 more for my ticket bringing the cost to a total of $227.00
8. My case manager didn’t have much information to share with me.
9. at least 20 women
1. Gregory E. Noe
2. Columbus, Ohio Halfway House
3. Received 9 months
4. Changed to 5 weeks
5. November 7, 2017 Home Confinement
1. Eric Campbell
2. Reg. No. 68116-061
3. Columbus Ohio Halfway House
4. 9 to 12 months recommendation
5. Received 6 months
6. Changed to 2 months
Feb. 15, 2018 Home Confinement
1. Brandon Jackson Reg. No. 73223-112
Halfway House in Detroit
Promised 6 months
Changed to 4 months
1. Venton Talley Reg. No. 16819-039
Halfway House in Detroit
Promised 9 months
Changed to 4 months
Shawn Forester Reg. No. 45219-177
Halfway House Ft. Worth Texas
Promised 8 months and 8 days
Changed to 4 months
Alton Tribble
Reg. No. 12073-088
Halfway House Detroit
Promised 230 days
Changed to 4 months
Adam Lowe
Reg. No. 47858-039
Halfway House Detroit
Promised 217 days
Changed to 4 months
Kamal Bicy
Reg. No. 50655-039
Halfway House Detroit
Promised 232 days
Changed to 4 months
Mecko Williams
Reg. No. 17957-032
Halfway House Cincinnati
Promised 8 months
Changed to 4 months
Andre Ortiz
Reg. No. 61292-060
Halfway House Ohio
Promised 7 months
Changed to 3 months
Devontae Stokes
Reg. No. 47097-424
Halfway House Chicago
Promised 6 months
Received 4 months
Matthew Usher
Reg. No. 29395-001
Halfway House Champaign, IL
Promised 6 months
Changed to 4 1/2
Alfred James
Reg. No. 62550-060
Halfway House Columbus, OH
Promised 7 1/2 months
Changed to 4 months
Many more names were submitted but we have not had time to update this list