"Halfway house" has become an umbrella term for different types of transitional housing. It can include sober living environments, community-based alternatives to jail, reentry housing, and residential correctional facilities that prepare inmates and parolees to leave prison.
This article will focus on this last type of halfway house—transitional living facilities for inmates or parolees who are nearing or at the end of their sentences and reentering society. These inmates and parolees might apply for a halfway house as part of their parole or supervised release. They risk going back to prison if they break any rules or commit another crime. For them, a halfway house is only limited freedom, as they are generally still supervised by a correctional authority.
Understanding the Role of Halfway Houses in the Correctional System
In the correctional system, halfway houses typically serve as group residences for people reentering the community from incarceration, sometimes as a condition of parole or supervised release. Local, state, and federal agencies run them, as do private subcontractors who get government funding and nonprofits that rely on contributions.
While generally referred to as halfway houses, they might be formally called something like “transitional centers” or “reentry centers.” The federal Bureau of Prisons uses the term “residential reentry centers" or RRCs—more than 150 RRCs house federal pre-release inmates and probationers across the country.
How Long Do Inmates Live in a Halfway House?
Thousands of convicted prisoners live in halfway houses. They might reside there for a few months or more. But most halfway houses don't have the capacity to allow inmates to live there beyond a year's time. For many state and federal prisoners, the halfway house is an extension of prison. The residents are supervised and closely monitored while they complete the last year or months of their sentences.
How Do Parolees Get Placed in a Halfway House?
A parolee or prisoner’s eligibility for residence in a halfway house depends on many factors, including whether the inmate falls under state or federal jurisdiction. For state inmates, the determination is intensely local, depending on state law requirements, the capacity of local jails and prisons, the inmate’s record, behavior and specific needs, and the availability of halfway house space. Federal laws and regulations apply to federal inmates, and decisions are likewise made on an individual and institutional basis. Timing of placement generally occurs during the last 12 months of one’s sentence in the federal system.
Here are some of the factors that may influence eligibility for, and placement in, a halfway house.
Housing Availability
Correctional authorities can’t send prisoners to halfway houses unless they are up and running and have space. The number of houses and their capacity is the first issue that a court or correctional official will consider.
Resources of the Halfway House
Different people have different needs. If a halfway house doesn’t have the resources needed for a particular prisoner, such as mental health or substance abuse counseling, the prisoner may not be a good fit for placement there.
Prisoner’s Record and Institutional Behavior
Inmates who actively participated in rehabilitation or educational programming in prison have a better chance of placement in a halfway house. Placement opportunities will be limited for inmates with records of disciplinary violations or institutional violence. Also, a prisoner with a record of failed halfway house experiences will have a tough time getting placed.
Circumstances of the Prisoner's Crime
Prisoners convicted of violent crimes are less likely to be recommended for placement. Those with petty or “victimless” crime histories (such as white-collar crime) are more likely to be admitted, as are those with substance abuse issues who seem amenable (open) to treatment.
How Strict Are Halfway House Rules for Inmates?
Halfway houses have very strict rules, treatment programs, work requirements, and curfews—especially for newcomers. While in a halfway house, inmates (now-residents) live together as a community. They can’t use drugs or drink alcohol. They must get permission before leaving the halfway house, participate in required programs, and look for a job (so they can help pay for the cost of their stay).
Rules and Violations
Staff closely monitor the residents’ activities and may conduct searches to look for contraband or prohibited items. A resident who fails to comply with the rules of a halfway house can be discharged and sent back to prison or jail. When that happens, whether the time spent at the halfway house will count towards the completion of the prisoner’s sentence depends on the jurisdiction’s laws. Other consequences of rule violations include loss of privileges, increased supervision, or disciplinary sanctions.
Programming and Services
The types of programming and services in halfway houses vary widely. While most halfway houses offer substance abuse programming and employment services, others may offer additional educational programs, cognitive therapy groups, financial counseling, life and parenting skills classes, anger management classes, behavior medication programs, spiritual programs, domestic violence counseling, and programs for sex offenders.
Ability to Leave Halfway House During the Day
Residents can generally leave the halfway house for pre-approved purposes, such as going to a doctor’s appointment, attending counseling sessions, working, and visiting family. A resident must demonstrate consistent compliance with halfway house rules and curfews to be allowed more freedom.
What Are the Benefits of Halfway Houses?
In theory, halfway houses are meant to provide the following benefits to inmates, while at the same time saving the government money (prisons are expensive) and reducing the inmate's likelihood of recidivating (committing another crime).
Transition Time
Halfway houses give inmates time to develop skills and adapt to life outside of prison. Some inmates have been behind bars for decades and perhaps haven’t used a cell phone or the internet or paid an online bill (or any bills).
Support and Structure
Staff provide support and structure to inmates to ease the transition from living in a cell to living free in the community. An inmate’s day may initially be highly structured with treatment programs, classes and training, recreational activities, and check-ins. That structure may be gradually reduced as an inmate demonstrates accountability and adaptability.
Assist With Housing and Employment
Halfway house staff assist inmates in finding employment and housing as a way to help rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient. Assistance might come in the form of help filling out applications, getting prepared for interviews, and attending job fairs. Staff may also help inmates fill out applications for public assistance benefits.
Treatment and Services
A halfway house may offer certain substance abuse or mental health treatment. Or the staff may connect the inmate to outside treatment resources, medical care, and community-based services.
How Effective Are Halfway Houses?
Halfway houses have come under fire as an inefficient use of government dollars, as well as hotbeds for violence, gang activity, and drug use. Unfortunately, the availability of reliable data is scarce because most halfway houses are privately run and not always required to release data on their programming, guidelines, or effectiveness.
The federal government and states have spent billions of dollars on halfway houses, assuming that they would cost less than prisons and rehabilitate prisoners. However, studies suggest there’s little difference in recidivism between incarcerated inmates and those given a spot in a halfway house. Why would this be the case? There’s plenty of blame to go around on this issue, such as:
- lack of oversight over the operations and living conditions of halfway houses
- high staff turnover, inadequate staffing, and staff lacking necessary qualifications (such as having a counseling degree to be a counselor)
- inadequate funding for beneficial programming, and
- placement of halfway houses in poor communities with high crime rates.
Without adequate funding, staffing, and programming, the rehabilitative and reentry efforts may be lost. And placement in unhealthy environments generally only makes these situations worse.
Other Types of Halfway Houses: Sober Living, Alternative Sentencing, and Reentry
Also under the umbrella term of "halfway houses" are sober living homes, residential or community-based correctional facilities, and reentry housing. Below are brief descriptions to help clarify the differences between them.
Sober Living Homes (or Supportive Housing)
Sober living homes generally serve as transitional, supportive housing for people leaving substance abuse rehabilitation programs. These facilities don’t necessarily house current or formerly incarcerated individuals. They might be funded privately or through government grants.
Alternative Sentencing: Community-Based Placement
Residential or community-based correctional facilities typically serve as an alternative to traditional incarceration sentences. A judge might allow a criminal defendant the opportunity to serve all or part of their jail or prison sentence in the community on probation. A condition of that probation might be living in a community-based correctional facility, where the defendant will be supervised and allowed work release.
Reentry Housing
Reentry or other transitional housing generally offers felons assisted-housing opportunities after their release from incarceration. People with criminal records often have a difficult time getting back on their feet when it comes to finding and maintaining employment and housing. A reentry facility might offer assistance by providing short-term affordable housing and help with finding jobs, subsidized housing, and income assistance. These programs are not supervised by correctional authorities. Rather, they are voluntary assistance programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.