Disciplinary Response Service
An incident report starts a clock. We make sure the record is ready before it runs out.
Fast, records-driven preparation for people in federal custody — halfway house (RRC), home confinement, or institution — who have received an incident report, are facing a UDC/CDC or DHO hearing, or need to appeal a disciplinary finding or file a grievance. We obtain the records, prepare the written statement and exhibits, prepare the person for the hearing in plain language, and draft the administrative remedy appeals — on the clock the rules impose. The person signs and files. An attorney is the only one who tells them their legal options.
The gap
Unrepresented at the one hearing where they speak
Incident reports at halfway houses and institutions are high-volume and fast. The UDC or CDC hearing is ordinarily held within five work days. The DHO decides largely from paper. The regional appeal must be received within twenty calendar days of the DHO's signature; the central office appeal within thirty days of the regional response.
Defender offices and legal aid generally do not take these matters, and few private attorneys can take one on a five-day clock. Most people go into the hearing without help and without having asked, in writing, for the records the facility will rely on.
What decides outcomes
Three things, none of them dramatic
- Records discipline. The facility's own printouts, requested in writing on day one, with a receipt.
- Procedural literacy. The facility handbook and 28 C.F.R. part 541, applied step by step.
- Clean, signature-ready paper, delivered fast. A statement with lettered exhibits and a packet the hearing officer can follow.
What we produce
The document library
Every document is built from a house template, written to be safe for staff to read, and delivered ready for the person's signature. Which documents you receive depends on your tier.
- Records Request (day one) and Second Request follow-up with staff-initial receipt table
- Staff Representative Designation
- Written Statement to the UDC/CDC with lettered exhibits and a list of records requested but not produced
- Hearing Packet (cover, index, statement, exhibit separators, receipt page)
- Hearing Guide and pocket card (grade 6–8 reading level); Interview Guide for the investigator stage
- Hearing Log: contacts, investigator meeting, hearing record, paper tracker, key dates
- Staff Representative Brief (one page plus a 10-minute briefing script)
- Support Letters Kit (writer instructions, four sample letters, exhibit cover sheet)
- Good-Record (mitigation) File checklist
- Appeal Kit: BP-10 regional appeal drafts, BP-11 shell, grievance, RRM letter, deadline cover letter
- FOIA / Privacy Act request; Confidential Legal Call request; Release of Information (held until an attorney is named)
- Attorney Review Memo and Case Law Research Memo (privileged; go only to counsel)
Service tiers
Three tiers, one rule
Prices shown are starting points and are confirmed on intake. Every tier includes the counsel-match referral step, a supervising attorney's name on anything marked for legal review, and the criminal-exposure screen.
Tier 1 · Records & Response
A single Moderate (300-level) report, or a grievance.
- Day-one records request with receipt table
- One-page written response
- Hearing log
- Short hearing guide
Confirmed on intake.
Tier 2 · Full Hearing Preparation
High or Greatest severity codes, or multiple reports.
- Everything in Tier 1
- Full written statement with lettered exhibits
- Hearing packet, hearing guide, and pocket card
- Staff representative brief
- Support letters kit
- Appeal kit pre-drafted before the hearing
Confirmed on intake.
Tier 3 · Appeal Only
After a DHO finding, when the 20-day clock is already running.
- BP-10 regional appeal draft
- BP-11 shell for the next stage
- Records request for the DHO packet
- Cover letter with deadline block
Confirmed on intake. May be split 50/50.
Add-ons: Client Guidebook ($150), FOIA/Privacy Act request ($95), grievance or RRM letter ($150), attorney referral through counsel-match (no charge). Full details on the Pricing page.
The 72-hour promise
A promise about our process. Never about the outcome.
For a Tier 2 engagement, we deliver the complete preparation set within 72 hours of receiving the records we need. For Tier 1, 48 hours. The clock starts when the records arrive, not when payment clears, and we tell you the delivery time in writing when we start.
What we do not promise: a finding, a sanction, an expungement, a release date, or any result. No one can promise those honestly, and we will not.
What we never do
- Call ourselves a law firm, or suggest that we employ attorneys who advise you.
- Give legal advice or tell you your options. An attorney does that.
- Submit a request or appeal on a person's behalf.
- Promise an outcome or a release date.
- Send privileged material through facility channels.
- Draft a statement about the facts in a matter that may carry criminal exposure before counsel-match.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is Truthworks a law firm? Will a lawyer represent us?
No. Truthworks is not a law firm and does not represent anyone. We prepare records, statements, packets, and appeal drafts. The person in custody signs and files them. Every engagement includes a no-charge referral to independent counsel, and a named supervising attorney reviews anything marked for legal review. Only that attorney can tell you what your legal options are.
Can you file the appeal for us?
No, and neither can anyone else. Under 28 C.F.R. § 542.16(a), no person may submit a Request or Appeal on the inmate's behalf. We prepare the appeal so it is complete, correct, and ready to sign; the person in custody signs and submits it through the facility. We give you the deadline block and a cover letter so nothing is missed.
What does the 72-hour promise actually mean?
It is a promise about our process, not about the outcome. Within 72 hours of receiving the records we need for a Tier 2 engagement, we deliver the written statement, hearing packet, hearing guide, staff representative brief, support letters kit, and pre-drafted appeals. Tier 1 is 48 hours. The clock starts when we have the records, not when payment clears. We never promise a result, a finding, or a release date.
Which facilities do you work with?
People in federal custody at a halfway house (Residential Reentry Center), on home confinement, or in an institution. We work from the facility's handbook and 28 C.F.R. part 541. Reach out about state matters; we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
What records do you actually get?
The facility's own records: GPS and location logs, pass and sign-out sheets, schedules, program attendance, phone and visit logs, camera retention requests, the incident report, and, after a finding, the DHO packet. These are often the records that decide the case, and they have to be requested in writing.
How is anything sent to a person in custody safely?
Everything we produce is written to be read by staff. Nothing privileged travels through the facility. The family or sponsor receives the documents; hard copies reach the person through approved channels (mail, or delivery at the facility as its rules allow). We give you a plain checklist for this. Attorney-client material goes only to the attorney.
The incident report is a 100-level or 200-level code (the most serious categories). Can you still help?
Some 100- and 200-series codes describe conduct that can also be charged as a federal crime. Because of that, our process sends those matters to counsel-match first, before we draft anything the person would sign about the facts. Our intake screens for this automatically. We will not put words in a person's mouth that could be used against them.
The hearing already happened and the DHO found against us. Is it too late?
Maybe not. The BP-10 regional appeal must be received within 20 calendar days of the DHO's signature. Tell us the DHO decision date at intake and we will compute the clock right away. Tier 3 covers appeal-only matters, including the records request for the DHO packet.
Who pays, and when?
A family member or sponsor pays a flat fee at engagement through Stripe. Tier 1 and Tier 2 are paid in full up front because the clock does not allow payment plans. Tier 3 may be split 50/50. Prices on this site are starting points and are confirmed on intake.
What if my question is really a legal question?
Then you will hear this from us, every time: "We can tell you what the record shows once we have it. The attorney has to be the one to tell you what your options are." We will connect you with counsel through our no-charge referral step, and we will prepare an attorney review memo for that attorney if you engage them.
Start today. The clock already has.
Intake takes about ten minutes. Tell us the date the report was delivered and we will compute the deadlines with you.