Is there credit for good behavior in federal prison after a federal crime conviction?

When someone is sentenced to do time after a federal conviction, there is no such thing as parole. The only early release is based on two factors: Number one, good behavior when you’re in custody. It’s also based on the charges, but what happens is this: They review all your conduct while you’re in prison, they review the charges against you, they review the pre-sentence investigation that was prepared for the judge prior to your sentencing, then you typically get 15% taken off your sentence, and because there’s no parole, that’s all you’re gonna get your sentence reduced by. So you’ll typically serve 85%, unless you’re able to go to a halfway house, usually for the last six months of your sentence. That’s the way it works, but you need a good criminal defense attorney who understands how the federal criminal justice system works and how serving time really works to get you out as early as possible, to get you at a halfway house as quickly as possible, because you’re dealing with a bureaucracy, and it’s very difficult if you do it on your own, or if you’re relying on your family to help you. We can help you, this is what we do.

By Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A.