RDAP and Psychology Programs: Eligibility, Limits, and Reality | Chapter 17

RDAP and Psychology Programs Summary

RDAP and Psychology Programs can affect sentence length, placement, and daily conditions in federal prison. Eligibility often depends on how substance abuse was documented in the PSR. Early planning and accurate disclosures matter.

Why Psychology Programs Exist in Federal Prison

Understanding RDAP and Psychology Programs matters for people entering federal prison because separation from family, uncertainty about sentencing outcomes, and daily prison pressures can contribute to depression or more serious mental health concerns. For that reason, every federal prison maintains a Psychology Department with at least one licensed psychologist on staff. Those departments offer group-based programming and, in some cases, limited individual counseling.

Most Psychology Department resources focus on substance abuse treatment. Bureau of Prisons materials estimate that roughly 40 percent of people in federal custody report prior drug abuse. In response, Congress began allocating significant funding in 1996 for treatment services inside federal prisons. As a result, the Bureau operates several psychology programs aimed at substance abuse intervention.

Overview of Substance Abuse Programs

The first level of treatment is a short program that generally lasts several weeks and requires between 12 and 15 total hours. Participants receive reading materials, watch educational videos, and attend discussions focused on how substance abuse interferes with stability and lawful living.

The second level extends over several months. Psychology staff meet with enrolled participants in group sessions lasting approximately two hours. Participants watch videos, complete a structured curriculum, write short essays, and discuss how substance abuse contributed to personal and legal problems. This program is known as the Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program. It is open to anyone who applies and is often viewed by staff as preparation for RDAP.

Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP)

The Residential Drug Abuse Program, commonly referred to as RDAP, draws the most interest because it can lead to a sentence reduction. RDAP is residential because participants live in a designated housing unit reserved for the program.

RDAP is not available at every federal prison. In some cases, individuals begin serving their sentence at one facility and later transfer to a prison that offers RDAP as they approach their projected release date.

RDAP is also called the 500-hour drug treatment program. Participants spend approximately four hours each weekday in group sessions or structured independent study. Psychology staff teach the program using cognitive behavioral therapy models. The curriculum relies on written assignments, discussion, readings, videos, lectures, and accountability tracking. The program emphasizes personal examination and decision-making patterns.

Anyone may request participation in RDAP, but acceptance is not automatic. To receive the sentence reduction, a person must meet specific eligibility requirements.

How to Qualify for RDAP

Each institution’s Psychology Department manages RDAP applications. After submitting a request, the applicant will complete one or more interviews. To qualify:

• The person must have more than 24 months remaining on the sentence.
• The person must document substance abuse during the 12 months preceding the arrest for the current offense.
• The person must not have a serious mental illness that interferes with participation.
• The person must be able to read and write.
• The person must not face deportation issues.
• The person must not have a qualifying history of violence or weapons offenses.

In practice, the Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) is the most important document for RDAP eligibility. The more clearly the PSR documents substance abuse, the stronger the application. Admission of substance abuse during the PSR interview may be sufficient, though corroborating records improve the likelihood of acceptance.

Program Statement 5330.11 directs psychology staff to review the PSR to determine whether the applicant meets diagnostic criteria under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).

Substance abuse does not need to be connected to the offense conduct, and a judge is not required to recommend RDAP.

Many defendants hesitate to disclose substance abuse during the PSR interview, fearing it will reflect poorly. In practice, minimizing substance abuse history often makes RDAP acceptance more difficult. Describing drug or alcohol use as casual or social may weaken eligibility.

Defendants interested in RDAP should discuss the issue early with counsel or with someone familiar with RDAP requirements. If substance abuse was underreported in the PSR, additional documentation may be necessary.

Judges may recommend RDAP in the Statement of Reasons at sentencing. A judicial finding that the defendant experienced substance abuse during the preceding 12 months can support later program consideration.

Helpful documentation may include:

• Records from substance abuse treatment providers
• Medical documentation from licensed healthcare professionals
• Proof of two or more DUI convictions within five years before arrest

RDAP Ineligibility Factors

Certain categories of inmates are not eligible for early release through RDAP, including:

• Immigration detainees
• Pretrial detainees
• Individuals not convicted in federal court
• Prisoners with detainers that prevent community placement
• Individuals with qualifying violent histories

Disqualifying prior convictions include homicide, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, kidnapping, sexual abuse of minors, and related offenses. Current convictions involving firearms, force, or serious risk of physical harm also result in ineligibility. Individuals who previously received an RDAP reduction are not eligible again.

Sentence Reduction Through RDAP

Sentence reductions depend on the length of the imposed sentence:

• 37 months or more: up to 12 months
• 31 to 36 months: up to 9 months
• 24 to 30 months: up to 6 months

In addition to the reduction, RDAP graduates receive at least six months of community confinement. Under the First Step Act, some individuals may serve up to the final year in a halfway house or home confinement.

Other Psychology Programs

Other Psychology Department programs do not offer sentence reductions but may provide structured support.

BRAVE Program

Offered at FCI Beckley Medium and FCI Victorville Medium. Available to individuals age 32 or younger with sentences of 60 months or longer. The program emphasizes interpersonal skills and institutional adjustment.

Challenge Program

A residential program at selected high-security facilities for individuals with substance abuse histories or major mental illness diagnoses.

Resolve Program

Primarily for female inmates with trauma histories. The program uses structured therapy and counseling.

Sex Offender Treatment Programs

The non-residential program serves individuals with limited offense histories. The residential program is designed for those with more extensive histories and requires screening.

Skills Program

Designed for individuals with cognitive or developmental impairments housed at low or medium security institutions.

STAGES Program

For individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder who have struggled with institutional adjustment.

Life Connections Program (LCP)

A voluntary, residential faith-based program available across security levels. Admission requires meeting security, release timing, and program participation criteria.

People considering RDAP should review their PSR early and understand how substance abuse documentation affects eligibility.

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.

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