The Bureau of Prisons recognizes that an inmate's preparation for release begins at initial commitment and continues throughout incarceration and until final release to the community. This subpart establishes a standardized release preparation program for all sentenced inmates reintegrating into the community from Bureau facilities. Exception to this subpart may be made by the Warden of a Bureau facility which has been designated as an administrative maximum security institution.

The Warden shall designate to a staff member the responsibility to:

(a) Determine the general release needs of the inmate population;

(b) Coordinate the institution release preparation program;

(c) Chair the Release Preparation Program Committee;

(d) Contact and schedule volunteers from the local community to participate in the release preparation program.

(a) Staff shall structure the release preparation program to make extensive use of staff, inmate, and community resources.

(b) Staff shall strongly encourage and support an inmate's participation in the institution release preparation program. Staff shall document the inmate's participation in the program in the inmate's central file.

(a) The institution release preparation program shall be administered by the Release Preparation Program Committee.

(b) The institution release preparation program will be based on a core curriculum of topics/courses organized into six broad categories. The six categories are:

(1) Health and nutrition.

(2) Employment.

(3) Personal finance/consumer skills.

(4) Information/community resources.

(5) Release requirements and procedures.

(6) Personal growth and development.

(c) To assist in the release process, the Warden may, in accordance with the Bureau of Prisons' rule on furloughs, grant an inmate a furlough for release preparation purposes.

(d) Staff shall help an inmate obtain proper identification (social security card, driver's license, birth certificate, and/or any other documents needed by the inmate) prior to release.

(e) An inmate who is not being released through a Community Corrections Center (CCC) may ask staff to request the assistance of a United States Probation Officer in establishing a release plan. Bureau staff are to encourage the inmate to give at least one employment lead or contact. Where the inmate or the inmate's family has already identified employment, the case manager shall notify the United States Probation Officer so that the usual verification of release plans may be made. Where employment has not been identified, the case manager shall notify the United States Probation Officer of the employment need. This notification should ordinarily occur at least six weeks prior to the inmate's release.