This is part of our Policy vs. People series, where we unpack how prison policies affect real people, and what you’re not hearing in the headlines.

Policy says: If you follow the rules, take classes, and work hard, you’ll earn time off your sentence.

Reality: Many never see the time they earned, and some never knew it was taken away until it was too late.

What Are “Good Time” Credits?

Many state prison systems offer earned time or good conduct credits meant to reward people for:

• Completing education programs
• Holding prison jobs
• Staying out of trouble

In theory, it encourages rehabilitation. In practice? It’s a bait-and-switch.

The People Impacted

• We’ve heard from countless incarcerated people who:
• Finish a GED or reentry class only to learn it doesn’t qualify anymore.
• Lose time credits because a program was reclassified after they completed it.
• Follow all the rules for years, only to be told the policy changed, and their credits don’t count.
• Never received clear notice in the first place.

One man wrote:

“I earned my time. I have the certificates. But they told me the rule changed last year, and no one said anything. Now I’m still sitting here.”

🔍 What’s Really Going On?

This isn’t just clerical error. It’s systemic.
Some corrections departments quietly reclassify programs, others fail to track credits at all. And many don’t have a transparent way to appeal.

The result? People serve more time than they should, at taxpayers’ expense, while states brag about “reform.”

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🗣️ Tell Your Story
Have you or someone you know earned time off that was never honored? We want to hear how these policies are playing out in real life.

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