Reporting Directly to Prison

One advantage that white collar offenders seem to get more often than the street offenders, is that they often are allowed to report directly to prison.  Oftentimes street offenders are either in jail at the time of trial, or immediately incarcerated upon conviction.

As noted in the Atlanta Jrl Constitution here, Bill Campbell is being told he can report directly to prison, a facility near Miami. This is a big plus for someone about to serve prison time.  It means they will not be incarcerated in jails throughout the country while they are being transferred to the final facility. On the other hand, why are some allowed to remain free pending the trial and appeal and others, like Campbell, are deprived of this opportunity now that he has been convicted and is awaiting a decision on appeal?  Do courts rule consistently in determining whether an individual merits an appeal bond?   

(esp)