OutSoonerFree help for families with a loved one inside.
Free · Official sources

Sentence date dispute kit

If the release date looks wrong: how to spot a likely miscalculation, how to get the computation records, how to ask for a recalculation, and when to go to the court, the public defender or legal aid. With fill-in letters that print cleanly for mail.

Important: this isn't legal advice. Deadlines and rules differ by state. Most of these letters must be signed by the person in prison; family can help prepare and mail them. Don't type names or numbers on this page: it prints blank so you can fill it in by hand.

Coverage of this kit

Verified against official sources: 3 states (Idaho, Colorado, Nevada) and federal BOP.

Sources last checked: 2026-10-21.

1. Signs of a likely miscalculation

  • Jail credit: county jail days before sentencing are missing, or don't match the judgment.
  • Good time / earned time: credits haven't changed in months even though the person works or attends programs, or credit was taken with no write-up.
  • Consecutive vs. concurrent: the judge's order says the sentences run at the same time (concurrent), but the computation adds them end to end, or the other way around.
  • Detainers: another jurisdiction has a hold, and it isn't clear whether time counts toward both.
  • The date changed with no explanation, or the official inmate search and the time sheet show different dates.

2. Gather the paperwork

  • The judgment and any later court orders: ask the court clerk in the sentencing county.
  • The official sentence computation (time sheet): the person asks the records office or caseworker. Use Letter A.
  • County jail records showing booking and release dates.
  • Any write-ups and their decisions, and program certificates.

3. Ask for a recalculation

  • First, in writing to the records office (Letter B). Keep it short: which date you think is wrong, why, and which document shows it.
  • If there's no answer or the answer looks wrong, use the agency's grievance process within its deadline. In federal cases, use the Administrative Remedy Program.
  • Keep copies of everything and write down dates.

4. When to go to the court, the public defender or legal aid

  • If the problem is in the judgment itself (for example, the judge didn't award jail credit), usually only the court can fix it. Write to the defense attorney or public defender on the case (Letter C).
  • If the agency won't fix a calculation error after a grievance.
  • If the release date is close: tell the attorney or legal aid right away.
  • Look for free legal help on your state courts' official website or at the county public defender's office.

What each state publishes (official sources)

Idaho

  • Jail credit: Idaho Code 18-309 says the person gets credit in the judgment for any time in custody before judgment for the offense or an included offense.
  • Fixing the credit in court: Idaho Criminal Rule 35 says a motion to correct the court's computation of credit for time served may be made at any time.
  • Fixing how IDOC calculated it: IDOC SOP 316.02.01.001 says the length of a sentence can't be grieved, because the court sets it. The exception: the person may use the informal resolution and grievance process to resolve issues with how IDOC calculated the sentence.

Official source: Idaho Code 18-309: Computation of term of imprisonment (opens in new tab) · Idaho Criminal Rule 35 (opens in new tab) · IDOC SOP 316.02.01.001: Grievance and Informal Resolution (PDF) (opens in new tab)

Colorado

  • The rules CDOC uses: Administrative Regulation 625-03 (Sentence Computation), AR 625-02 (Earned Time) and AR 625-04 (Court Services and Detainer Operations).
  • Records: AR 950-05 (Offender Access to Records) covers how the person sees their own records. AR 1350-04 (Open Record and Data Requests) covers public records requests.
  • If the answer is wrong: AR 850-04 is the grievance procedure. Questions about jail credit set in the sentencing order go back to the sentencing court or the defense attorney.

Official source: CDOC: Department Policies (AR 625-03, 625-02, 625-04, 950-05, 1350-04, 850-04) (opens in new tab)

Nevada

  • Jail credit: under NRS 176.055 the court may order credit for time actually spent in confinement before conviction, unless that confinement was under a conviction for another offense.
  • Close to release: NRS 209.453 requires NDOC to have an expedited process for a challenge to the time computation brought within 180 days before the expiration date NDOC calculated. Ask the caseworker for it in writing.
  • Grievances: NDOC AR 740 is the grievance procedure. Lost credits from discipline: see our discipline guide.

Official source: NRS chapter 176 (see NRS 176.055) (opens in new tab) · NRS chapter 209 (see NRS 209.453) (opens in new tab) · NDOC AR 740: Offender Grievance Procedure (PDF) (opens in new tab)

Federal (BOP)

  • The BOP says questions about a sentence computation should be brought to Correctional Systems staff at the facility. If the person isn't satisfied with the response, they may appeal through the Administrative Remedy process; the unit team can help.
  • The BP-9 request is due within 20 calendar days of the event. The BP-10 goes to the Regional Director within 20 days of the response, and the BP-11 to the General Counsel within 30 days (28 CFR part 542).
  • Some computation information (court, sentence imposed, projected release date) is public. Other details, such as periods of prior custody, are released only on a written request with an original authorization form signed by the person.
  • The computation rules are in Program Statement 5880.28 (Sentence Computation Manual).

Official source: BOP: Sentence Computations (opens in new tab) · BOP Program Statement 5880.28: Sentence Computation Manual (PDF) (opens in new tab) · 28 CFR part 542: Administrative Remedy Program (opens in new tab)

Other states

We haven't verified official information on computation disputes for these states yet. Ask the Department of Corrections records office for its sentence computation and grievance policies:

Fill-in letters to print

Letter A: request for my sentence computation

Date: ______________________

To: Records / Sentence Computation Office, ______________________ (agency name and address)

From: ______________________ (full name), ID number: ______________________, housing unit: ______________________

I am requesting a copy of my current sentence computation (time sheet), showing the start date, jail credit, credits earned and lost, and the projected release date.

Case number(s): ______________________

Signature: ______________________

Keep a copy of this letter and write down the date you handed it in or mailed it.

Letter B: request to review my sentence computation

Date: ______________________

To: Records / Sentence Computation Office, ______________________ (agency name and address)

From: ______________________ (full name), ID number: ______________________, housing unit: ______________________

I am requesting a review of my sentence computation. I believe there is an error in: [ ] jail credit [ ] earned credits / good time [ ] consecutive or concurrent sentences [ ] detainer [ ] other: ______________________

What I believe is correct, and why: __________________________________________________________________

Documents attached (copies): ______________________

Please send me a written response.

Signature: ______________________

Keep a copy of this letter and write down the date you handed it in or mailed it.

Letter C: to the defense attorney or public defender

Date: ______________________

To: ______________________ (attorney or public defender), ______________________ (address)

Case: ______________________, court: ______________________

I am writing because I believe my credit for time served or my sentence computation is wrong, and it may need to be corrected by the court.

The problem: ____________________________________________

Please review my case or tell me who I should contact.

From: ______________________ (full name), ID number: ______________________, housing unit: ______________________

Signature: ______________________

Keep a copy of this letter and write down the date you handed it in or mailed it.

General information, not legal advice. Checked 2026-10-21. Discipline and grievance guide

Report an error on this page

Sources: How we source and verify · Last verified: · Corrections

Who do I contact? Pick the problem and the state

Print or save for mail

Prints in black and white, without menus, with link addresses written out. To save a PDF, choose "Save as PDF" in the print window.

Before mailing, check the facility's mail rules: many accept only plain white paper with no staples, and some don't accept printed pages. Mail rules checker

Did this help?