Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-01650/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-01650-4/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Lee Andrew Cain
Petitioner
Dennis Smith
Respondent

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U.S. District Court

 E. D. California cd 1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LEE ANDREW CAIN, )

)

Petitioner, )

)

v. )

)

DENNIS SMITH, Warden )

)

Respondent. )

 )

1:06-CV-01650 OWW SMS HC

ORDER GRANTING RESPONDENT’S

MOTION FOR STAY 

[Doc. #8]

Petitioner is a federal prisoner proceeding pro se with a petition for writ of habeas corpus

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. 

On December 20, 2006, this Court granted the petition for writ of habeas corpus. Respondent

was ordered to consider the appropriateness of transferring Petitioner to a residential re-entry center

(“RRC”) in light of the factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. §§ 3621(b), not excluding any other factors

deemed appropriate by the BOP, without reference to the BOP policy promulgated in December

2002 and without reference to the BOP’s February 14, 2005, amendment to 28 C.F.R. § 570.21.

Respondent was directed to make this determination within 14 days of the date of the December 20,

2006, Order (hereinafter “Order”).

On January 12, 2007, Respondent filed a motion for stay of the Order. On January 24, 2007,

Petitioner filed an opposition to Respondent’s motion to stay. 

DISCUSSION

Pending before the Court is Respondent’s motion to stay the Order. Respondent asks that the

Order be stayed until January 4, 2008, to give Respondent an opportunity to appeal the Order to the

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U.S. District Court

 E. D. California cd 2

Ninth Circuit. Respondent argues that “Program Statement 7310.04 requires the BOP to begin

release planning at an inmate’s first team meeting.” Respondent’s Motion at 2. Pursuant to Program

Statement 7310.04 § 8, “A final and specific release plan, including a decision as to [RRC] referral,

is normally established at a team meeting no later than 11 to 13 months before an inmate’s projected

release date.” Id. In this case, Petitioner is not scheduled for release until, at the earliest, February 24,

2010. Id. 

Petitioner opposes Respondent’s motion for stay and moves for an immediate enforcement of

the judgment. Petitioner argues he could easily be redesignated back to a Federal Prison Camp if the

Ninth Circuit overturns the Court’s Order. He further argues that Respondent contradicts himself in

his arguments with respect to the appropriate time for a release evaluation. Petitioner also states he is

asking for immediate redesignation to an RRC.

Respondent’s arguments for a stay are persuasive, but the Court does not agree with the

length of the stay requested. Considering the large quantity of similar cases being filed, the Court’s

caseload would be significantly burdened with these stagnant cases if they were stayed for such long

periods of time. However, Petitioner will not be prejudiced by a short stay, because Petitioner is not

automatically entitled to a redesignation to an RRC. The BOP retains the discretion under 18 U.S.C.

§ 3621(b) to transfer Petitioner to an RRC, and the Order granting the petition only directed

Respondent to consider whether it would be appropriate to transfer Petitioner to an RRC in light of

the five factors set forth in § 3621(b). Given Petitioner will not be released until 2010 at the earliest,

a stay of six months is not unreasonable.

ORDER

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Respondent’s motion for stay of the Order is GRANTED; 

2. Respondent is ORDERED to comply with the Order prior to July 31, 2007; 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 7, 2007 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

emm0d6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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