What Is A Halfway House? It’s Different from Sober Living Homes

Some people may also go to halfway houses without it being required, simply because the facility provides housing. Placement in Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs) post-incarceration can technically be declined by people slated for release, but doing so would require staying in prison instead. Halfway houses, also known as a residential reentry centers (RCCs), are transitional homes for inmates.

As of August 18, federal Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs) had 122 active cases, and 9 deaths, of coronavirus among halfway house residents nationwide. 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. Halfway houses are residential treatment facilities designed to provide a transitional path for people between prison, addiction, or domestic abuse and their reentry into society as healing, reforming, productive citizens. Beginning with houses to help poor and homeless people in the early 19th century, halfway houses have evolved into safe havens for people to learn basic life skills and personal responsibility.

What Is a Halfway House?

Halfway house meanings vary, but they all share the common goal of helping people get back on their feet after receiving treatment for their troubles. This article contains general legal information but does not constitute professional legal advice for your particular situation. The Law Dictionary is not a law firm, and this page does not create an attorney-client or legal adviser relationship. If you have specific questions, please consult a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction. States fall far short of their duty to meet the health needs of incarcerated people.

• Listed below are the rules recommended by the Federal Bureau of Prisons for both state and federal halfway houses.
• However, not all transitional housing is created equal, and it’s important to understand the differences between different types of transitional housing, such as halfway houses and three-quarter houses.
• Since states have overwhelmingly failed to protect incarcerated people in jails and prisons, the outlook for halfway houses is bleak.

Sober houses, on the other hand, are not as restrictive about who can reside on their properties. They tend to be structured more like private residences and can sometimes serve as long-term housing options. Residents have fewer rules than that of a halfway house but still may have to agree to abstinence, attend 12 step meetings or curfews. These media reports are too often the only way we are able to retrieve public information about the internal conditions of halfway houses.

What Is A Halfway House? (It’s Different from Sober Living Homes)

These facilities range from entirely carceral to not carceral at all (represented by the locked doors), and feature different priorities and programming for the people residing in them. Their purposes can also overlap, as community based correctional facilities, for instance, house individuals at various stages in their incarceration. For the purpose of this briefing, however, we are focusing on “Halfway Houses in the Criminal Justice System”– which are state or federally contracted facilities for people leaving state or federal https://www.healthworkscollective.com/how-choose-sober-house-tips-to-focus-on/ incarceration. 🏆 If you are passionate about helping individuals in recovery and making a positive impact in your community, consider partnering with Keith Humes and opening up a halfway house. By providing a safe and supportive environment for individuals in recovery, you can help them on their journey towards becoming self-sufficient and successful members of society. While both halfway houses and three-quarter houses provide transitional housing for individuals in recovery, there are some key differences between the two.

While regular population reports are not available, 32,760 individuals spent time in federal RRCs in 2015, pointing to the frequent population turnover within these facilities. It shouldn’t take exhaustive investigative reporting to unearth the real number of COVID-19 cases in a halfway house. But historically, very little data about halfway houses has been available to the public, even though they are a major feature of the carceral system. Even basic statistics, such as the number of halfway houses in the country or the number of people living in them, are difficult to impossible to find.

Halfway House Definition

New patients are admitted in individual rooms providing one-to-one services and programming. As they become more independent, the dorms become bigger so that by the time the patient leaves, they are living in the 50–100-person dorm described above. The name given to a house for people moving back in to society from a jail or other institution. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.

They are defined as safe, supervised, and structured environments that provide assistance to inmates who will be released from incarceration soon. Three-quarter houses can be an excellent option for individuals who have completed a rehabilitation program and are looking for a safe and supportive environment sober house to continue their recovery. They offer a level of autonomy that can be beneficial for individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to their sobriety and are ready for more independence. One reason that we know more about federal than state-level halfway houses has to do with the contracting process.

Substance abuse programs may be offered within these facilities, but it is not their primary focus and does not provide detox or withdrawal-related medication. Additionally, these facilities are a short-term solution whose max length of stay is usually between 3 or twelve months. “Halfway house” can refer to different types of facilities that share some similarities.