1. Each inmate committed to the custody of the director of the department of corrections is eligible to earn a reduction of sentence in the manner provided in this section. For purposes of calculating the amount of time by which an inmate's sentence may be reduced, inmates shall be grouped into the following two sentencing categories:
a. Category "A" sentences are those sentences which are not subject to a maximum accumulation of earned time of fifteen percent of the total sentence of confinement under section 902.12. To the extent provided in subsection 5, category "A" sentences also include life sentences imposed under section 902.1. An inmate of an institution under the control of the department of corrections who is serving a category "A" sentence is eligible for a reduction of sentence equal to one and two-tenths days for each day the inmate demonstrates good conduct and satisfactorily participates in any program or placement status identified by the director to earn the reduction. The programs include but are not limited to the following:
(1) Employment in the institution.
(2) Iowa state industries.
(3) An employment program established by the director.
(4) A treatment program established by the director.
(5) An inmate educational program approved by the director.
b. Category "B" sentences are those sentences which are subject to a maximum accumulation of earned time of fifteen percent of the total sentence of confinement under section 902.12. An inmate of an institution under the control of the department of corrections who is serving a category "B" sentence is eligible for a reduction of sentence equal to fifteen eighty-fifths of a day for each day of good conduct by the inmate.
2. Earned time accrued pursuant to this section may be forfeited in the manner prescribed in section 903A.3.
3. Time served in a jail or another facility prior to actual placement in an institution under the control of the department of corrections and credited against the sentence by the court shall accrue for the purpose of reduction of sentence under this section. Time which elapses during an escape shall not accrue for purposes of reduction of sentence under this section.
4. Time which elapses between the date on which a person is incarcerated, based upon a determination of the board of parole that a violation of parole has occurred, and the date on which the violation of parole was committed shall not accrue for purposes of reduction of sentence under this section.
5. Earned time accrued by inmates serving life sentences imposed under section 902.1 shall not reduce the life sentence, but shall be credited against the inmate's sentence if the life sentence is commuted to a term of years under section 902.2.
83 Acts, ch 147, § 3, 14, 15; 90 Acts, ch 1251, § 67; 96 Acts, ch 1151, § 4; 97 Acts, ch 131, § 2, 4; 98 Acts, ch 1100, § 88; 2000 Acts, ch 1173, §4, 10
Referred to in § 822.2, 901.5A, 902.12, 903A.4, 903A.7
1997 amendment striking and rewriting section applies retroactively to computation of reductions in criminal sentences for good behavior for persons sentenced to category "B" sentences on or after July 1, 1996; 97 Acts, ch 131, § 4
Conversion of good conduct time to earned time effective January 1, 2001; 2000 Acts, ch 1173, §9, 10
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