SB xxx 18: Prison Credits - Information from Prison Law Office

The Prison Law Office has graciously posted to its website a letter of information to inmates, updated as of Feb. 1, which summarizes the changes to prison credits. While the letter is not, of course, a substitute to consulting one's attorney, it is a good resource to consult in order to understand the new rules. The main highlights are as follows:

1. Inmates in jails and prisons will now receive more credit for every day served. The details are in the letter. There are exceptions to these new rules, which are based, among other things, on the type of offense.
2. The new law applies to everyone sentenced after Jan 25, but there is still a dispute over its application to folks sentenced earlier (see our discussion of retroactivity earlier this month).
3. There have been no changes to the Three Strikes Law.
4. The Plata/Coleman panel's order has not yet gone into effect.

The retroactivity question is more than a technicality, given the volume of people to which the bill would apply. We'll stay tuned.