DC Inmates Get 250-Mile Proximity Rule: New Bill Aims to Keep Families Closer for Reentry Success

This new legislation, the Improving Reentry for District of Columbia Residents in the Bureau of Prisons Act of 2025, is pretty straightforward: it aims to keep people incarcerated under D.C. law closer to home. Specifically, two years after it becomes law, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) generally won't be allowed to place a "covered individual"—someone sentenced under a specific 1997 D.C. law who was living in the District at the time—in a facility more than 250 miles away from D.C. The big idea here is making reentry less of a logistical nightmare by keeping family ties strong.

The 250-Mile Radius: A Lifeline for Families

Think about what this means for a working family in D.C. Right now, federal inmates from D.C. often end up in facilities hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles away. That distance turns a weekend visit into an expensive, multi-day ordeal involving flights, rental cars, and time off work. This 250-mile cap, found in Section 2, is designed to change that. For the family of an incarcerated person, staying within a four-hour drive means visits are actually feasible, which numerous studies confirm is critical for successful reentry and reducing recidivism. This bill recognizes that maintaining community and family connections isn't just a nice thing to do—it’s a public safety strategy.

The Fine Print: Exceptions and Logistical Hurdles

While the 250-mile rule is the standard, the bill does include a few important outs. The BOP Director can still place someone further away if the incarcerated person asks for it, or if the Director determines there are "extraordinary circumstances" that require it. This is where things get a little squishy. That term, "extraordinary circumstances," isn't defined, which gives the BOP a lot of wiggle room. If they use this exception, they have to notify specific congressional committees within 30 days, which adds a layer of transparency, but the vagueness of the term itself could be a potential loophole for the BOP if localized housing becomes too difficult or expensive to manage.

What Doesn't Change

It’s important to note what this bill doesn't touch. Section 2 explicitly states that this new proximity rule doesn't stop the BOP from moving people into prerelease custody or transferring them to start supervised release, which are key steps in the reentry process under existing law. This means that as an individual gets closer to release, the BOP still has the flexibility to move them into halfway houses or home confinement programs, regardless of the 250-mile limit. This preserves the operational necessity of existing reentry programs while addressing the long-term placement issue.

For the average D.C. resident, this bill is a quiet win for community stability. By making it easier for families to stay connected, it lowers the hurdles for people returning to the community after serving time. The trade-off is mainly logistical for the BOP, which will have to figure out how to house this specific population closer to D.C., potentially leading to higher costs if local federal facilities are already at capacity.