Good time and sentence credit rules in all 50 states + DC
How credits work today in each state, with the governing statute, rates, exclusions, and how credits affect parole versus discharge. Every page cites official sources.
| State | In short | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Since 2023, Alabama "correctional incentive time" is 30 days per 30 days served for Class I, 15 for Class II, 5 for Class III, and none for Class IV. Many sentences are e… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:24 AM MT |
| Alaska | Alaska gives a good-time deduction of one-third of the term to prisoners who follow facility rules, with listed exceptions. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:19 AM MT |
| Arizona | Most Arizona prisoners earn 1 day of earned release credit for every 6 days served. Certain drug-possession cases earn 3 days for every 7 days. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:18 AM MT |
| Arkansas | Arkansas meritorious good time can cut up to 30 days a month off the parole or transfer eligibility date. It never shortens the sentence itself. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:26 AM MT |
| California | Since Prop 57, California awards Good Conduct Credit at rates set by workgroup. Most people in nonviolent cases earn 50% to 66.6%, and people in violent cases earn 33.3% … | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| Colorado | Colorado earned time under C.R.S. §17-22.5-405 is now up to 14 days a month (up from 12) for many people serving class 4-6 felonies or level 3-4 drug felonies. People wit… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:26 AM MT |
| Connecticut | Connecticut awards Risk Reduction Earned Credit (RREC) of 3 to 5 days a month, depending on overall risk level, for following the accountability plan and good conduct. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:24 AM MT |
| Delaware | Delaware good time for behavior is 2 days a month in the first year and 3 days a month after that (36 days a year max). Programs add up to 10 days a month. Total good tim… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:26 AM MT |
| District of Columbia | People sentenced under D.C. Code §24-403.01 get good time only as provided in the federal statute, 18 U.S.C. §3624(b). D.C. felony prisoners serve their time in the feder… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:22 AM MT |
| Florida | For offenses on or after October 1, 1995, Florida allows up to 10 days a month of incentive gain-time, but no one can be released before serving 85% of the sentence. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:18 AM MT |
| Georgia | Georgia has no automatic good time that shortens sentences. The Parole Board decides release for parole-eligible people and may set a Tentative Parole Month (TPM). People… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:23 AM MT |
| Hawaii | Hawai'i has no good time or earned credits. People serve day-for-day up to the maximum term, and only the Hawai'i Paroling Authority can change time served. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:26 AM MT |
| Idaho | Idaho has no good time during the fixed (minimum) part of a sentence. The person must serve all of it before parole or discharge, except for meritorious service or medica… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:22 AM MT |
| Illinois | Most Illinois sentences earn day-for-day credit (50%). Truth-in-sentencing limits some offenses to 7.5 days a month (75%) or 4.5 days (85%). First-degree murder gets none… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:24 AM MT |
| Indiana | For offenses after June 30, 2014, Indiana Level 6 felonies start in Class A (1 day of credit per day served). Level 1-5 felonies start in Class B (1 day per 3 days). Cred… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:24 AM MT |
| Iowa | Iowa calls its credits "earned time." Category A sentences earn 1.2 days for each day of good conduct and program participation. Category B sentences (85% crimes) earn 15… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:19 AM MT |
| Kansas | For crimes on or after July 1, 1993, Kansas good time is capped at 15% of the prison part of the sentence. The cap is 20% for some lower-level crimes. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:19 AM MT |
| Kentucky | Kentucky gives 90 days for each diploma, degree or approved program completed. DOC may also award up to 10 days a month for good behavior, plus up to 7 days a month for m… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:23 AM MT |
| Louisiana | For felonies committed on or after Aug 1, 2024, Louisiana good time is capped at 15% of the sentence. Earlier offenses use the older, higher rates in R.S. 15:571.3. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:23 AM MT |
| Maine | For most crimes on or after Aug 1, 2004, Maine allows up to 4 days a month for good conduct plus 3 days a month for meeting program responsibilities. Murder, sex offenses… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:23 AM MT |
| Maryland | Maryland gives a good conduct deduction of 10 days per calendar month. It is 5 days for terms that include a crime of violence or certain drug-distribution crimes. Other … | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts awards earned good time for programs and work: up to 7.5 days per program per month in state prison (15 days max), plus completion credits. Total reductions… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| Michigan | Michigan has no good time for current sentences. Instead, people subject to "disciplinary time" get extra time added for each major misconduct, and the parole board consi… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:22 AM MT |
| Minnesota | For offenses on or after Aug 1, 1993, a Minnesota executed sentence is two-thirds prison and one-third supervised release. There is no classic good time. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| Mississippi | For sentences imposed after June 30, 1995, Mississippi earned time is 4.5 days per 30 days served, capped at 15% of the sentence. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:24 AM MT |
| Missouri | Missouri allows "good time" credit only on the superintendent's recommendation, under a DOC policy. There is no fixed statutory monthly rate. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:23 AM MT |
| Montana | Montana generally makes people with time sentences eligible for parole after serving one-fourth of the full term. Life sentences become eligible after 30 years. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:23 AM MT |
| Nebraska | Nebraska cuts the term by 6 months for each year (half), plus 3 days a month after a 12-month period with no serious discipline. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| Nevada | Nevada gives 20 days a month of statutory credit for good conduct, up to 10 more for work or study, and education bonuses. Credits come off the maximum. For many nonviole… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:26 AM MT |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire has no monthly good time. Instead it gives one-time reductions to both the minimum and maximum sentence for completing programs, from 60 to 180 days each.… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:22 AM MT |
| New Jersey | New Jersey applies commutation credit ("good time") automatically when computing parole eligibility, based on one-third of the term minus jail credit. Work credit (1 day … | Oct 16, 2026, 8:26 AM MT |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Earned Meritorious Deductions are up to 4 days a month for serious violent offenses and up to 30 days a month for other crimes. The Corrections Department's po… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:24 AM MT |
| New York | New York good time can take up to one-third off the maximum of an indeterminate sentence and one-seventh off a determinate sentence. Merit time can take another one-sixth… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:28 AM MT |
| North Carolina | Under North Carolina structured sentencing, people must serve the full minimum term. Earned time can only reduce the maximum term down to the minimum. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| North Dakota | North Dakota can credit eligible prisoners 5 days of good time per month of the sentence imposed, based on performance. Meritorious credit is also possible. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| Ohio | Ohio has no traditional good time. People can earn program credit of 1 or 5 days per month toward the stated prison term, capped at 15% of the term. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:19 AM MT |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma earned credits under 57 O.S. §138 depend on class level: 0, 22, 33 or 44 credits a month today. From Nov 1, 2026, Classes 3 and 4 rise to 45 and 60 for people ne… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:26 AM MT |
| Oregon | For felonies on or after Nov 1, 1989, Oregon allows earned time of up to 20% of the prison term, for good institutional behavior and adult basic skills programs. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania has no good time. The main way to shorten a minimum is RRRI: eligible people get an RRRI minimum of three-fourths of a minimum of 3 years or less, or five-si… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:25 AM MT |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island deducts 10 days for each month of good behavior for most sentences over one month. Listed sex offenses get less, and certain offenses get none. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| South Carolina | Most South Carolina sentences earn 20 days of good conduct credit per month. "No parole" offenses earn only 3 days a month and must serve at least 85%. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| South Dakota | South Dakota sets each person's initial parole date as a percentage of the full term, from a grid based on felony class, violent or nonviolent, and prior felonies. For ex… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:23 AM MT |
| Tennessee | Tennessee sentence credits are capped at 6 or 8 days a month for behavior and 6 or 8 days a month for programs, depending on security status. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:25 AM MT |
| Texas | Texas "good conduct time" does not shorten the sentence itself. It only moves up parole eligibility and, for people who qualify, release to mandatory supervision. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:17 AM MT |
| Utah | Utah uses indeterminate sentences (for example "0 to 5 years"). The Board of Pardons and Parole decides release, using a Sentencing Commission matrix only as a starting p… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:26 AM MT |
| Vermont | Since 2021, Vermont gives 7 days off both the minimum and maximum sentence for each month without a major disciplinary violation. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| Virginia | Virginia earned sentence credits are capped at 4.5 days per 30 served for violent and other listed offenses. Other offenses use a four-level system that tops out at 15 da… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:23 AM MT |
| Washington | Most Washington prisoners can earn early release of up to one-third of the sentence. Serious violent offenses and class A sex offenses are capped at 10% or 15%. Some lowe… | Oct 16, 2026, 8:19 AM MT |
| West Virginia | West Virginia gives eligible prisoners one day of good time for each day served, counted against the maximum or fixed term. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:19 AM MT |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin is a truth-in-sentencing state. For felonies on or after Dec 31, 1999, the confinement part of the sentence is served without good-time reduction. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:21 AM MT |
| Wyoming | Wyoming good time is set by rules the governor adopts. It can come off the minimum, the maximum, or both, and is "a matter of grace," not a right. | Oct 16, 2026, 8:23 AM MT |
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