NATIONAL SURVEY OF GOOD TIME LAWS AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

• NCJ Number: 11687
• Author(s): J K ANDERSON
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 152 pages
• Grant Number(s): EA-2-F4-1560 (TX); EA-3-F4-1560 (TX)
• Sponsoring Agency: Texas Criminal Justice Council
• Corporate Author: Texas Dept of Corrections
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SURVEY AND COMPARISON OF SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF STATUTES AND CORRECTIONAL POLICIES ON GOOD TIME ALLOWANCES IN ADULT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

Abstract

A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DEVELOPED AND SENT TO EACH DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS TO OBTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOOD TIME. A SECOND QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ALSO DEVELOPED TO OBTAIN THE ATTITUDES OF OFFICIALS WORKING IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIELD IN TEXAS AND OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICIALS AND INMATES AT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS CONCERNING THE USE OF GOOD TIME ALLOWANCES. THE DATA FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRES ARE SUMMARIZED IN CHAPTER TWO. LEGAL ASPECTS OF DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION RIGHTS OF INMATES IN REGARDS TO GOOD TIME ALLOWANCES ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. FEDERAL AND STATE COURT DECISIONS CONCERNING ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES REQUIRED FOR DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS AND THE FORFEITURE OF GOOD TIME ARE REVIEWED. FINDINGS SHOW THAT ALL BUT FOUR STATES HAVE A STATUTE PROVIDING FOR GOOD TIME ALLOWANCES. OFFENDER ELIGIBILITY TO EARN GOOD TIME IS OFTEN ARBITRARILY DETERMINED, AND LOSS OF GOOD TIME OFTEN OCCURS AS A PUNISHMENT FOR MISCONDUCT. RECOMMENDATIONS ON PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS ARE OFFERED.