Or are they just a myth?
Actually, there are good case managers in federal prison. Most think by the nature of the job, they can only be somewhere between okay and bad. And most will confirm this through their experience – the vast majority of case managers don’t seem to act with inmates best interests at heart.
But, Kyle Sanders, founder of Federal Prison Tips, gives praise to Mrs. Taylor at the Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery. She cared about his progress and the things happening in his life at home, and made those extra calls to make sure that the inmates on her caseload landed on their feet when they re-entered society.
We also had a former case manager and CMC, Jessica Halfast, comment on one of our posts. She made sure that her team meetings in federal prison were with the actual team you’re supposed to meet with – the case manager, the counselor, and the unit manager. Oftentimes, these meetings actually only occur with the case manager.
At some institutions, the case manager just drops by an inmate’s cube or cell, has them sign a piece of paper, and calls that “team.”
Or, Kyle’s old case manager at Butner, Ms. David, who would falsify government documents and make inmates backdate paperwork to ensure her team meetings were “on time.”
Many case managers have one hundred, sometimes two hundred or more inmates on their caseload. Then they don’t want to listen to what’s being said or read what’s on the actual paperwork in front of them.
Listen up and pay attention when you’re in your team meeting. When you have that valuable time with your case manager, that’s your moment to present the most positive version of yourself and unlock the maximum benefits possible – it’s the key to re-entry and getting home as soon as possible.
If you disrespect your case manager, you run the risk of retaliation or your grievances being met with indifference. They hold a lot of power. Even though no one is supposed to retaliate against inmates, they’re still human, and you want to make the best impression possible.