NCJ Number
48057
Date Published
1978
Length
26 pages
Annotation
RANDOM SAMPLES OF 270 FELONS AND 226 MISDEMEANANTS ARE EXAMINED IN A STUDY OF THE PRACTICES OF THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION WITH REGARD TO GOOD TIME ALLOWANCES.
Abstract
CONNECTICUT LAW ALLOWS FOUR TYPES OF GOOD TIME CREDIT: STATUTORY, JAIL CREDIT, 7-DAY WORK WEEK, AND OUTSTANDINGLY MERITORIOUS. GENERALLY, THE FIRST TWO ARE AWARDED AS A MATTER OF COURSE TO ALL ELIGIBLE SENTENCED INMATES, BUT THE LATTER TWO ARE AWARDED SELECTIVELY TO INMATES WHO MEET SPECIAL CONDITIONS. THE ANALYSIS SOUGHT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF EACH TYPE OF GOOD TIME ALLOWANCE IS GRANTED, HOW MUCH GOOD TIME IS REVOKED AND RESTORED, THE PERCENTAGE BY WHICH GOOD TIME PROVISIONS REDUCE MINIMUM SENTENCES, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF AN INMATE'S SENTENCE ACTUALLY IS SERVED. THE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT LITTLE GOOD TIME WAS REVOKED AND THAT LESS WAS LATER RESTORED. ALTHOUGH INMATES MAY BE AWARDED UP TO 120 DAYS OF OUTSTANDINGLY MERITORIOUS GOOD TIME, THE MOST FREQUENT AWARD WAS 60 DAYS FOR FELONS AND 10 DAYS FOR MISDEMEANANTS. OTHER FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE AVERAGE FELON (INDETERMINATE) MINIMUM SENTENCE WAS 3.3 YEARS; THE AVERAGE MISDEMEANANT (DETERMINATE) SENTENCE WAS 71 DAYS; FELONS RECEIVED AN AVERAGE OF 496 DAYS OF GOOD TIME, WHICH RESULTED IN A 41-PERCENT REDUCTION OF THEIR MINIMUM SENTENCE; MISDEMEANANTS AVERAGED 30 DAYS GOOD TIME, WHICH AMOUNTED TO A 42-PERCENT REDUCTION OF THEIR SENTENCE; 20 PERCENT OF FELONS HAD SOME PORTION OF THEIR GOOD TIME REVOKED; ONLY ONE MISDEMEANANT HAD GOOD TIME REVOKED; APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE GOOD TIME REVOKED WAS RESTORED; THE AVERAGE FELON BECAME ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE AFTER SERVING ABOUT 59 PERCENT OF HIS MINIMUM SENTENCE; THE AVERAGE MISDEMEANANT SERVED APPROXIMATELY 58 PERCENT OF HIS SENTENCE; AND THE PROPORTION OF TIME SERVED TO SENTENCE IMPOSED TENDED TO DECREASE AS THE LENGTH OF SENTENCE INCREASED. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)