Sam Mangel & Craig Rothfeld, Prison Consultants

We were thrilled to host Sam Mangel and Craig Rothfeld, two leading prison consultants who have worked with some of the highest-profile defendants in the country, as our March 2026 Tuesday Night Speaker Series presenters.

Sam Mangel is one of the country's leading federal prison consultants, having advised hundreds of defendants and their families on navigating the federal prison system. Craig Rothfeld is a former federal prosecutor turned prison consultant who brings a unique perspective on the intersection of law and incarceration.

Together, they discussed what individuals and families need to know before, during, and after federal incarceration -- from designation and self-surrender to programming, halfway houses, and supervised release. Their presentation covered the full lifecycle of a federal sentence, with practical guidance at each stage that attendees could apply immediately to their own situations or share with loved ones.

On the topic of facility designation, Sam and Craig explained how the Bureau of Prisons determines where a defendant will serve their sentence and what steps can be taken -- before sentencing and before self-surrender -- to influence that outcome. They discussed the importance of the PSR (Presentence Report) and how errors or omissions in that document can affect designation, security classification, and access to programming.

A significant portion of the presentation focused on the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), one of the most valuable programs available in the federal system. RDAP can result in up to a 12-month sentence reduction for eligible participants, but qualifying requires careful planning. Sam and Craig walked through eligibility criteria, how to document a substance abuse history appropriately, and common mistakes that disqualify otherwise eligible defendants.

They also addressed the transition out of custody -- halfway house placement, home confinement, and the conditions of supervised release. For many white collar defendants, the period after prison can be just as challenging as incarceration itself, with restrictions on employment, travel, and financial activity that can persist for years. Understanding these conditions in advance allows individuals and families to plan more effectively.

For the white collar justice community, prison consulting matters because the federal system is complex, opaque, and unforgiving of mistakes. Having experienced guides who understand both the written rules and the unwritten realities of the BOP can make a meaningful difference in outcomes. Sam and Craig's presentation was a reminder that preparation is one of the few things defendants can control in an otherwise uncertain process.