Failing The Test Might Not Be So Bad
Shortly after you arrive in federal prison, you’re going to take a needs based survey on the TRULINCS computer system.
As per the First Step Act (FSA), every new inmate in federal prison now takes this needs based survey that assesses your programming needs for FSA.
You may already be aware that programming to your FSA needs in federal prison gives you access to some privileges. The free telephone minutes, for example.
The needs assessment survey will seem very familiar to anyone who’s ever taken a “personality test” for a job interview. It will have those kinds of obvious moral evaluation questions, such as “the cashier at Walmart gives you $10 more than they were supposed to. What should you do with it?”
Here’s the catch: the more needs you are determined to have, the more programming you will be eligible for. For things like the telephone, where you receive those benefits by programming to your needs, it may be in your best interest to have a lot of needs,. This is especially true if your stay in prison will be long.
Having a lot of needs determined by this survey won’t slow you down or cause you any issues. The more needs you have, the more classes you can take. The more classes you can take, the longer you can be sure your FSA benefits will remain available to you.
Now, participating in a productive activity will also keep you eligible for FSA benefits. This includes most jobs on prison grounds, except for jobs like “Compound” 1 or 2, which only perform work when specifically called to clean the prison grounds or other duties, and are on the lowest gay grade.
It’s especially important to keep your needs list high if you’ve learned from other inmates that securing FSA eligible employment is difficult at your place of incarceration.