Working the system
The Bureau responds to specific questions, politely asked, by people who write things down. Everything in this section is a version of that sentence.
Who to call, in order
- Their
correctional counselor , for day-to-day unit questions; - their
case manager , for anything involving their record, release, transfers, or visiting; - the
unit manager , when the case manager has genuinely not responded; - the warden's office, sparingly;
- and the regional office, more sparingly still.
Call the institution's main number and ask to be transferred to the unit. You will often get voicemail. Leave one message, not four.
Who these people are, from their side of the counter: working with staff.
How to be effective on the phone
- One issue per call;
- state it in two sentences;
- cite the policy if you have it, by number;
- ask for a specific action and a date;
- get the person's name and title;
- and thank them, because the next call is easier when the last one was pleasant.
Do not threaten litigation, do not invoke a lawyer you have not retained, and do not call daily. All three convert you from a person with a question into a problem to be managed.
The policies families most often end up citing are annotated here, by number.
Congressional constituent services
Your representative's and senators' offices have caseworkers whose job is helping constituents with federal agencies, including the Bureau of Prisons. It is free, it is routine, and most families never think of it.
It works best on concrete, documentable problems — a referral that has not happened, medical care that has not been provided, a computation that appears wrong. It does not work on general unhappiness.
You will need a signed privacy release from them for them to act.
Keep a log
Date, who you spoke to, their title, what you asked, what they said, and what they committed to.
It takes two minutes per call. It is the difference between having an argument and having a file, and it is the single most useful habit in this guide.
When something goes wrong
Calls stop, letters come back, and nobody will tell you anything. Most of the time it is ordinary. Here is how to tell, and what to do when it is not.
These pages cover the general rules. Your situation has details they don't. Email me a question. Answers are free, and "you don't need to pay anyone for this" is my most common answer.
I answer in the order received, usually within a couple of days. I have a day job. If your situation genuinely needs more than an email, I take a limited number of consults, so say so and we'll work it out.
Someone else is sitting exactly where you are. Pass it on.