BOP Furloughs-A Federal Inmate’s Legalized Escape-For a Week-end!

May 5, 2009 - PRLog -- Michael Frantz, a Federal Prison Consultant for Jail Time Consulting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, recently spoke to a group of concerned individuals about the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Furlough Program. This is a program that allows minimum security inmates to leave prison and go home to stay with their families for one day, three days or five day increments.

The Bureau of Prisons has developed a furlough program which is intended to help the inmate attain his or her correctional goals. Michael Frantz said, "A furlough is not a right but a privilege granted an inmate under prescribed conditions. It is not a reward for good behavior, or a means to shorten a criminal sentence. A furlough is defined as an authorized absence from a federal prison by an inmate who is not under escort of a staff member, U.S. Marshal, or state or federal agents."

There are two main types of social furloughs. The first type of furlough is the Day Furlough. The Day Furlough is a furlough within the geographic limits of the commuting area of the federal prison (approximately a 100-mile radius), which lasts 16 hours or less and ends before midnight. The inmate may be picked up by his family and travel unescorted to his home. He may remain at his home with his family for sixteen (16) hours before reporting back to the institution that evening. The second type of furlough is an Overnight Furlough and can last up to seven (7) days. Normally, Overnight Furloughs are classified as three day furloughs or five day furloughs. The inmate may be picked up by his family and travel unescorted to his home. He may remain at his home with his family for the length of his furlough, either three (3) nights or five (5) nights before reporting back to the his federal prison.

Federal Prison Consultant Frantz also stated the eligibility requirements for federal inmates to receive a furlough. Michael Frantz said, "Eligibility for a Day Furlough requires that the inmate be at his current federal prison for one-hundred and eighty (180) days with clear conduct and he is within twenty-four (24) months of his anticipated release date. Eligibility for an Overnight Furlough requires that the inmate be at his current federal prison for one-hundred and eighty (180) days with clear conduct and he is within eighteen (18) months of his anticipated release date."

An inmate may receive more than one furlough but the furloughs must be at least ninety (90) days apart. Inmates must also have minimum security and community custody to be eligible for a furlough. This means the inmate must be at a Federal Prison Camp.

Jail Time Consulting is a specialist in preparing applications for federal prison furloughs and will explain, inform, educate, and assist their clients in the preparation of the documents for social furloughs. Jail Time Consulting is an expert in the BOP’s social furlough policy, the eligibility requirements, custody and security requirements, and reasons for furlough justification, furlough conditions, required documentation, as well as the inmate return policy.

Jail Time Consulting also provides information and assistance in medical furloughs, transfer furloughs, and both escorted and unescorted furloughs. Michael Frantz said, "We have all the required forms including the Furlough Questionnaire (both "In" and "Out" of Sentencing District) as well as the Furlough Application. We have the Inmate’s Conditions of Furlough listing all the conditions and stipulations with which the inmate agrees to comply." Jail Time Consulting provides information and/or assistance to all federal prison inmates with their furlough requests.

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About Jail Time Consulting: Michael Frantz is a leading national Federal Prison Consultant with Jail Time Consulting. He has authored a book on Federal Prison titled, "Jail Time, What you need to know...Before you go to federal prison!" as well as 35 JT Special Reports© on various prison issues affecting both inmates and their families. He writes a daily blog on the JT Consulting website http://jailtimeconsulting.com.

Jail Time Consulting is a Federal Prison Consulting firm providing consulting services, research, sentence reduction techniques, and client positioning for BOP programs. JT Consulting offers solutions to the problems that men and women facing federal prison are confronted with. We work closely with our clients and their attorneys to provide the lowest possible net sentence. We prepare and position our clients for admission to the 500-Hour Residential Drug Abuse Program which offers the inmate a 12 month sentence reduction and a 6 month halfway house designation.