United States v. Caudle, 4:16-cr-00179

Defendant Brandon Caudle was sentenced on October 11, 2016 to 41 months’ imprisonment for three counts of mail fraud based on schemes he ran while incarcerated at FCI Elkton.
PSR placed Caudle in Criminal History Category V; projected release date June 4, 2020.
About 18 months into his term, Caudle (pro se) moved for a court order or judicial recommendation that the BOP place him in a specific halfway house (RRC) in North Carolina for at least 270 days to aid reintegration.
The government opposed an order (arguing the court lacks authority) and suggested, at most, a broad recommendation that the BOP place Caudle in an RRC for a significant period as the BOP deems appropriate.
Caudle renewed his request after the First Step Act, citing 18 U.S.C. § 3621(b) (proximity considerations), but later indicated he intends to release to the Northern District of Ohio.
The court denied both the original and renewed motions, concluding the BOP—familiar with Caudle’s disciplinary history—is better positioned to decide RRC placement and declining to issue a recommendation.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether the court can order the BOP to place Caudle in a particular halfway house	Caudle asked the court to order or recommend placement; invoked § 3621(b) and First Step Act proximity provisions	Government: court lacks authority to order BOP designations; BOP has exclusive placement authority	Court: cannot order BOP to make a specific placement; denied any order and declined recommendation
Whether a judicial recommendation for extended RRC placement is warranted	Caudle: extensive halfway house time would reduce recidivism; he asserts high recidivism risk and need for 270 days	Government: BOP is better positioned to assess appropriateness; case manager input and inmate record weigh against recommending placement	Court: denied recommendation based on Caudle’s disciplinary record and deference to BOP’s placement discretion

Demis v. Sniezek, 558 F.3d 508 (6th Cir. 2009) (BOP may place an inmate in community confinement for no more than twelve months at end of sentence)