Pcr Consultants

What happens after sentencing?

Post-Sentencing in a Federal Criminal Case

Now what?

Now a defendant can feel like they are blowing in the wind without an advocate to guide them through this difficult period. Many prison consultants make a lot of money just telling people what to expect when they get to prison. We do that, too, but more importantly there is a need for somebody to help make the transition from defendant to inmate.

This transition starts well before the sentencing hearing. At sentencing, a defendant’s lawyer asks the judge to recommend a specific prison for “placement” of the defendant within the Bureau of Prisons. If that recommendation is appropriate, the BOP rarely goes against a judicial recommendation. If not, the BOP can send an incoming inmate wherever it wishes. The lawyer’s request is rarely based on a working knowledge of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) or how the defendant will actually be seen by it. Usually it’s a gut feeling. A prediction that the lawyer has based on prior clients and their criminal history.

More information about recommendations is available at the bottom of this page.

Bad move. The BOP has a dozen different reasons why an inmate will qualify for a security level that is one-higher than (s)he would normally go. It’s a minefield that takes knowledge, practice, patience, and a knack for bureaucratic red-tape to navigate.

That’s us! We can accurately predict the security level a defendant will be classified as, show a list of prisons within the surrounding states which house that security level, and then make an APPROPRIATE recommendation for our client based on proximity, treatment needs, and programs offered. These factors are constantly changing from year to year, which is why this specialty is necessary.

For additional facts about pretrial, see a primer article about it here.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation

Find out how we can help by calling us for a free consultation at (480) 382-9287.

For more ways to contact us, visit our contact us page for contact form and e-mail addresses.

Place of Incarceration

If you take a plea bargain, the main concern of the pre-incarcerated is the location they will spend their time. What institution is better than the rest? Which is closest to home? These questions are the most basic and most frequently asked. Your sentencing judge can make a recommendation to the BOP for your placement. However, many times this recommendation is not followed. Why?

The BOP has its own policy of classifying each inmate to a specific institution and level of security. The problem is that most lawyers and judges make no effort to determine exactly what yours should be. They have a very good idea, but are often wrong.

If your judge recommends you to an institution that does not fit their criteria, the BOP will then assign you to wherever it sees fit, no matter the distance from home. However, according to BOP statistics, if a judge makes a valid recommendation, it is followed over 80% of the time. PCR Consultants can do a BOP compliant work-up on each client, match that work-up with BOP institutions that fit your needs, and give your attorney and sentencing judge the proper institution for you.

Various institutions have programs that can take up to a year off sentence time if completed plus six months to a year in a half-way house. Finding the right institution for you can mean 18-24 less months spent in prison. Up to 2 YEARS off!

Contact PCR Consultants as early as possible to affect as much of this process as you can.

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  1. Pingback: Federal PreTrial: Sentencing – PCR Consultants

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