ASSEMBLY, No. 1238

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

 

 

By Assemblyman AZZOLINA and Assemblywoman J. SMITH

 

 

An Act concerning progressive time credits for prisoners and amending R.S.30:4-140.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. R.S.30:4-140 is amended to read as follows:

    30:4-140. [For] a. Except as provided in subsection b. of this section, for every year or fractional part of a year of sentence imposed upon any person committed to any State correctional institution for a minimum-maximum term there [shall] may be remitted to him from both the maximum and minimum term of his sentence, for continuous orderly deportment the progressive time credits indicated in the schedule herein. When a sentence contains a fractional part of a year in either the minimum or maximum thereof, then time credits in reduction of such fractional part of a year shall be calculated at the rate set out in the schedule for each full month of such fractional part of a year of sentence. No time credits shall be calculated as provided for herein on time served by any person in custody between his arrest and the imposition of sentence. In case of any flagrant misconduct the board of managers may declare a forfeiture of the time previously remitted, either in whole or in part, as to them shall seem just.

 

Schedule

                         A                      B                            C

                                          Progressive Credits             Credits for Each

                                            for Minimum and            Full Month of

       Minimum and       Maximum Sentences         Fractional Part of

    Maximum Sentences          in Years                   a Year in Excess of

            in Years                       (days)                        Column A (days)

 

            1                                   72                                        7

Schedule

                         A                      B                            C

                                          Progressive Credits             Credits for Each

                                            for Minimum and            Full Month of

       Minimum and       Maximum Sentences         Fractional Part of

    Maximum Sentences          in Years                   a Year in Excess of

            in Years                       (days)                        Column A (days)

 

            2                                   156                                        8

            3                                   252                                        8

            4                                   348                                        8

            5                                   444                                        8

            6                                   540                                        8

            7                                   636                                        10

            8                                   756                                         10

            9                                   876                                         10

        10                                     996                                         10

        11                                    1,116                                        10

        12                                    1,236                                        11

        13                                    1,368                                        11

        14                                    1,500                                        11

        15                                    1,632                                        11

        16                                    1,764                                        11

        17                                    1,896                                        12

        18                                    2,040                                        12

        19                                    2,184                                        12

        20                                    2,328                                        12

        21                                    2,472                                        12

        22                                    2,616                                        13

        23                                    2,772                                        13

        24                                    2,928                                        13

        25                                    3,084                                        15

        26                                    3,264                                        15

        27                                    3,444                                        15

        28                                    3,624                                        15

        29                                    3,804                                        15

        30                                    3,984                                        16

 

    Any sentence in excess of 30 years shall be reduced by time credits for continuous orderly deportment at the rate of 192 days for each such additional year or 16 days for each full month of any fractional part of a year. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to limit or affect a convict's eligibility for parole consideration as provided for in section 10, chapter 84, P.L.1948, as amended, in any situation where the sentence or consecutive sentences imposed upon a convict shall exceed 25 years.

    b. A person committed to a State correctional institution for a crime committed while in possession of a firearm, machine gun or assault firearm shall not have progressive time credits remitted to him.

(cf: P.L.1957, c.27, s.1)

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    Currently, any person sentenced to a State correctional institution is entitled to progressive or good behavior credits for continuous orderly deportment. Under the provisions of the bill, inmates sentenced to a State prison for a crime committed while in possession of a firearm, machine gun or assault firearm would not be awarded good behavior credits. The bill would also make awarding good behavior credits permissive and not mandatory.

 

 

 

Prohibits awarding good behavior credits to certain inmates.