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LERA: Bill for Increased Federal Good Time To Be Introduced

By Jeralyn, Section Legislation
Posted on Tue Oct 21, 2003 at 05:39:10 PM EST
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We had given up hope. But today, the Federal Prison Policy Project informs us that Rep. Bobby Scott (D-) will introduce LERA, the Literacy, Education, and Rehabilitation Act of 2003. The bill will allow up to 180 days a year good time, a big increase from the paltry 54 days a year now allowed.

To amend title 18, United States Code §3624 to require the Federal Bureau of Prisons to calculate good time earnings per the amended schedule to demonstrate to taxpayers that money spent by the federal government on incarceration is rehabilitating the federal prisoners in its custody by providing remedial and vocational opportunities and other rehabilitative opportunities to better prepare prisoners for a successful return to society and for other purposes.

The stated purpose of the bill is:

Purpose:

The purpose of the proposed bill is to promote public safety by offering constructive incentives for exemplary institutional adjustment while at the same time increasing educational standards and decreasing the overall cost of corrections.

Budget Considerations:

The awarding of good conduct allowances as proposed in the bill would decrease the amount of time served in prison by manyprisoners. This would result in savings to the United States. With prisoners serving less time, the Bureau of Prisons would have more bed space that it could use to house federal prisoners who are now being held in state facilities and local jails. However,
there is not sufficient information available to project the extent to which prison populations would be decreased by the bill and, therefore, the fiscal impact cannot be determined.

(b) Credit Toward Service of Sentence for Satisfactory Behavior. - (1) Subject to paragraph (2), a prisoner who is serving a term of imprisonment of more than 1 year, other than a term of imprisonment for the duration of the prisoner's life, may receive credit toward the service of the prisoner's sentence, beyond the time served, of up to 54 [insert] 180 days at the end of each year of the prisoner's term of imprisonment, beginning at the end of the first year of the term, subject to determination by the Bureau of Prisons that, during that year, the prisoner has displayed exemplary compliance with institutional disciplinary regulations. Subject to paragraph (2), if the Bureau determines that, during that year, the prisoner has not satisfactorily complied with such institutional regulations; the prisoner shall receive no such credit toward service of