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How Prison Transfers Work
Anyone who enters federal prison without the ability to self surrender will go through the transfer system managed by the U.S. Marshals Service. The experience involves long waits, frequent searches, limited information, and unpredictable schedules. Understanding how prison transfers work helps reduce stress and allows people to prepare for the realities of transport, custody scoring, secondary transfers, and self-advocacy inside the Bureau of Prisons.
Introduction to Prison Transfers
Most people entering federal prison do not get the option to self-surrender. Minimum-security camps are limited, and fewer than twenty percent qualify to report on their own. Everyone else moves through the system by transfer, which is where uncertainty starts.
When a judge imposes a sentence under ten years and there is no violence or escape history, the Bureau of Prisons often assigns minimum security. Some of those people are allowed to self-surrender. They arrive with a family member, walk in the front door, and begin intake without passing through holding cells.
Most people never get that option. Many sit in custody for months because bond was denied. Others are taken into custody immediately after sentencing, including some white-collar defendants with sentences under ten years.
Life inside a federal prison can be structured and predictable. Transfers are not. Staff do not share dates or destinations, and that lack of information causes stress fast.
My partner Michael Santos lived through years of transfers during his twenty-six years inside. He wrote about that experience in Earning Freedom. His account shows why transit is often harder than prison itself.
Inside the Prison Transfer Process
Like everything in custody, transfers involve long periods of waiting mixed with sudden movement. Once an officer tells a person to gather belongings, he is quickly escorted to a separate holding area. These cages or rooms fill rapidly with other people awaiting transfer. The noise, tension, and cramped space begin to wear people down before the trip even starts.
From time to time, a jailer will shout instructions or look for individuals with medical needs. Eventually, names are called in small groups and everyone goes through the first strip search. Guards repeat this process several times during a single transfer. Although it feels demeaning, officers view it as routine.
After the search, staff issue transfer clothing, usually oversized orange garments and soft slippers or sandals. The person is then moved to another holding cell. More noise, more waiting, more uncertainty.
The next stage involves chaining. Officers apply ankle shackles, wrap a chain around the waist, and fasten wrist cuffs to the waist chain. After being restrained, everyone waits again before being loaded onto the buses used for prisoner transport. These buses have barred windows and enclosed compartments for armed officers.
Some people reach their designated prison after a single bus ride. Others spend weeks traveling across several states. The U.S. Marshals Service uses a system of circular flight paths, which means traveling from one facility to another—even a short distance—can take thirty days or more. One person moving from Fort Dix to Fairton, just an hour apart by car, spent weeks on planes and buses through multiple states before arriving.
What Makes Prison Transfers So Challenging?
A person in transit has no ability to settle in. He may not have access to commissary, personal property, or hygiene items. He does not know how long he will stay in each temporary facility, and he rarely receives regular mail. If he is lucky, he may get limited access to a basic email system.
Being constantly moved, frequently searched, woken in the middle of the night, fed inadequate meals, and kept in chains wears people down. Michael always said these transfers were the lowest point of his entire sentence.
Secondary Prison Transfers and Security Scoring
As a sentence progresses, circumstances can change. Security scores may shift, or a person may want to move to another facility with the same custody level. Case managers typically will not review transfer requests unless someone has at least eighteen months of disciplinary-free conduct.
Even when a person qualifies, the request is not guaranteed. Administrators prioritize population management across their regions. A request for Miami might result in a transfer to Beaumont simply because of available bed space.
In my experience, people in custody often want to know whether they can influence the outcome. Formally, the answer has always been no. Informally, it is possible. Self-advocacy matters. Michael coordinated several re-designations during his sentence, each one requiring careful documentation, planning, and consistent effort.
Under the old system, prisoners could only drop their security score through time and by avoiding infractions. There was no program-based recognition for growth or constructive behavior. The First Step Act changed the landscape by providing incentives and allowing “Earned Time Credits” to influence custody classification. How the Bureau of Prisons implements these policies continues to evolve.
Understanding Classification and Conduct
The Custody and Classification Form (BP-338) historically dictated placement. People could not lower their custody levels through merit, but they could raise them easily through disciplinary infractions. Living in prison without a single infraction requires constant awareness. People must manage their own behavior while surrounded by thousands of others and subject to staff decisions that are sometimes inconsistent.
Self-protection requires good judgment, awareness of volatile situations, and disciplined choices. Over multiple years, the chances of receiving a disciplinary write-up increase, even for those trying to avoid trouble.
Initiating Prison Transfer Requests
To pursue a transfer, a person must ask the case manager during a regularly scheduled unit team meeting. The request must go through the unit manager, case-manager coordinator, and warden before reaching the regional designator. Everyone must approve the transfer before it is considered.
Some people try to build strong relationships with staff members, hoping to improve their chances. Occasionally it works. Often it does not. Staff may say they cannot guarantee placement, but individuals with influence can sometimes make calls to the regional designator.
Using Outside Help for Transfer Requests
Some individuals choose to involve outside advocates, family members, lawyers, or elected officials to contact the regional designator. These methods can work, but they require time and persistence. As Michael explained in Earning Freedom, well-organized letters and calls can make a difference. Still, people must use caution. Many services overpromise and cannot deliver results.
What to Expect During Prison Transfers
A person going through prison transfers should expect long waits, repetitive searches, inconsistent schedules, limited access to property, and little information about what comes next. Understanding these realities ahead of time can reduce anxiety and help someone prepare mentally for the process.
If you want to understand how transfers may affect your time inside, speak with knowledgeable people and review federal policies so you can prepare with accurate expectations.
Thank You,
Justin Paperny is an ethics and compliance speaker and founder of White Collar Advice, a national crisis management firm that prepares individuals and companies for government investigations, sentencing, and prison. He is the author of Lessons From Prison, Ethics in Motion, and the upcoming After the Fall. His work has been featured on Dr. Phil, Netflix, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do prison transfers usually take?
They can take a single day or more than thirty days depending on routing, security needs, and available transport.
Can families call to find out where someone is during transfer?
No. For security reasons, locations and schedules are not disclosed.
Does a person receive mail while in transit?
Mail rarely follows a person through temporary facilities, although limited electronic messages may be available.
Are strip searches mandatory during transfers?
Yes. Multiple searches occur at different stages of the process.
Can someone request a specific prison?
Yes, but approval depends on security level, disciplinary history, and population needs.
Does the First Step Act affect transfer eligibility?
Earned Time Credits can influence custody classification, which may affect placement.
Can a person avoid chains during transport?
No. Standard transport restraints apply to everyone.
What happens if someone has medical needs?
Staff screen for medical issues before movement, but access varies by facility.
Can advocacy improve transfer outcomes?
It can, but results depend on documentation, timing, and administrative discretion.
Why are transfers so stressful?
People lack control, information, and stability during the process.
