What is earned good time?
People held in jail get credit for the days held in jail waiting to make a plea. When that person is held on money bail for a case they get credit for the days they are waiting. If they waited 90 days in jail for their trial and are sentenced to 90 days in jail for their case, they will get credit for the time they served and be immediately released from custody. However, there is another type of "jail credit" while someone is in jail. That credit is called credit for good time.
“Earned good time” (EGT) are deductions from the sentences of a convicted inmate for satisfactory performance in educational, vocational, and rehabilitative programs, work, or work release. The analysis can be technical, but you are probably wondering "When will my family member be home from jail?".
Moreover, there are a number of different kinds of jail credit:
- EGT Caps
- Boost Time
- Calculating Adjusted Maximum Sentence
- Completion Credits
- Eligibility Requirements
What are earned good time caps?
In 2018, the rules changed so now people get more EGT. Under the new rules, the EGT per program cap increased from 5 days/month to 7.5 days/month. The per program cap increased from 10 days/month to 15 days/month. The annual maximum award increased from 120 days to 180 days. However, the monthly EGT caps for house of correction sentences remains at 5 days/program and 10 days/month.
What is boost time?
Additionally the new rules eliminated the six-month length of program requirement for “Boost Time”. As a result, there may be circumstances in which an inmate completing a program may have Boost Time awarded as against his or her prison sentence but not as against his or her concurrent house of correction sentence.
How is adjusted maximum sentence calculated?
So, the calculation for the adjusted maximum term is the imposed maximum term minus the EOT, Boost Time, and Camp Time. The statue also creates a new cap of 35%. This means that the combined time cannot reduce the imposed maximum by more than 35%.
What are completion credits?
The changes create a new type of sentence deduction contained in the EGT statute referred to as “Completion Credits.” The Commissioner can, in his discretion, award up to 80 days of completion credits per program for an inmate’s successful completion of a program or activity. The Completion Credits may only be awarded at a maximum of 17.5% of the inmate’s imposed maximum term of imprisonment. The statute does not require a minimum length of a program or activity in order it to be eligible for the award of Complement Credits. The court awards Completion Credits in addition to Boost Time for longer-term vocational and educational programs identified as valid for the award of Completion Credits. Not all programs eligible for Boost Time are eligible for Completion Credits.
What are the eligibility requirements?
No inmate will be eligible unless he has satisfied the requirements of the program or activity. These prerequisite requirements for Boost Time under the current statute expanded.
Additionally, the current practice that an inmate who has received deductions from a sentence receives a certificate of discharge at the time of release will continue to remain in place.
Remember, this summary doesn't include time that the person already served. Someone waiting in jail for a year for trial found guilty and convicted for 2 years receives one year credit toward the 2 year sentence. So, they will in effect, have to serve one additional year after trial.
IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH A CRIME, AND YOU NEED AN EXPERIENCED CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER WORKING ON YOUR SIDE TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS, PLEASE CONTACT CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY WILLIAM J. BARABINO.
CALL 781-393-5900 TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR AVAILABLE DEFENSES.
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