📋 Release preparation: sentence plan and transition management
In brief
At the start of your sentence, a sentence plan (Vollzugsplan) is drawn up for you and updated as time goes on. Among other things, it records the type of custody, planned treatment measures, possible relaxations of custody and the expected release date. In parallel, transition management – the organised cooperation of the prison, probation service, Jobcenter or employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit) and housing/debt counselling – is supposed to clarify in good time before release where you will live, what you will live on and how you will be health-insured. How intensive this transition management is differs between federal states and prisons.
Step by step
- Take an active part in the sentence plan meetingActively bring in your own goals and wishes regarding place of residence, work and treatment measures – the sentence plan is drawn up not just about you, but with you.
- Contact the social service earlyApproach the prison's social service months before release about housing, work and benefit entitlements, instead of waiting until shortly before release day.
- Apply for identity documents in good timeCheck whether your identity card expired during prison and apply for a new one in good time – processing times at the registration offices vary.
- Prepare registrations before releaseAppointments with your health insurance fund and the Jobcenter or employment agency can often be prepared before release, so that there is no gap from release day onwards.
- Get the housing search started earlyContact transitional housing facilities or the municipal help for people facing homelessness as soon as a release date is foreseeable.
Deadlines
- Anyone who only deals with housing, money and health insurance in the last few days before release risks a gap in support directly after prison.
- A new identity card should be applied for at the latest a few months before release – processing times at the registration offices cannot always be shortened.
- An application for basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld) can already be filed before release, so that the benefit starts on release day – see the page "Basic income support after release".
- How intensively transition management is offered in practice is not uniform nationwide – where there is no active offer, you should approach the social service and the probation service yourself.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Sentence plan
All state laws provide for the drawing up of a sentence plan, which contains, among other things, information on the type of custody, on treatment and support measures, on possible relaxations of custody, on transfers and on the expected release date. § 7 StVollzG serves as the federal reference norm; the exact designation and structure differ between the state laws.
Transition management
Under names such as "transition management", "release preparation" or "aftercare", the prison service, probation service, employment administration and municipal bodies cooperate to clarify, in good time before release, housing, work, social benefits and healthcare. No nationwide concept exists for this – organisation and intensity are designed differently from state to state.
Interface with social benefits
Applications for basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld), initial equipment and other benefits can already be prepared and in part filed before release, so that the benefit takes effect from the actual release day (see the page "Basic income support after release"). As a rule, there is no entitlement to benefits for the time in prison itself.
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