Published in Criminal Law by Chris Eskew on July 24, 2023.
In 2022, the Indiana Department of Corrections transitioned to the Case Plan Credit Time program (CPCT), a multidisciplinary approach to assisting incarcerated individuals preparing to return to local communities after their release.
Offenders with mental health, cognitive disorders, or medical issues that prevent them from formal programming are now eligible to earn credit time based on treatment progress and behavior.
Indiana’s current credit time law was created to assist people in serving their sentences and getting back to their normal, productive life in less time.
What is “Good Credit Time” in Indiana?
Indiana Code 35-50-6-3.1 states that an incarcerated person can earn “good time credit,” meaning someone can earn days off their sentence for time served without disciplinary action.
How Are Crime Sentences Calculated in Indiana?
At its core, probation is a period of court-ordered supervision instead of going to jail.
Calculating the time that an offender must serve is not necessarily an easy task. The state of Indiana offers various tools to estimate possible sentence times for various criminal offenses.
The Indiana sentence calculator and simple date calculator are available for public use. You can learn more about these calculators by visiting the Indiana Judicial Branch’s website.
How Much Good Time Credit is Awarded?
The amount of time you must serve to earn one day of credit varies based on individual factors, such as the nature and class of your conviction. The Indiana Department of Corrections has five credit classes: A, B, C, D, and P.
Class A
Individuals in Class A include those who are convicted of misdemeanors and less serious felonies. Those in Class A earn one (1) day of credit time for each day you serve. This could equate to serving half of your sentence under the right circumstances.
Class B
Individuals in Class B include those serving sentences for higher-level felonies, earning one (1) day of credit for every three (3) days served without disciplinary action.
Class C
Individuals in Class C are considered inmates who are “credit restricted,” including inmates convicted of more serious felonies such as murder or certain types of sex crimes. In Class C, an individual will earn one (1) credit day for every six (6) days served.
Class D
Individuals in Class D include inmates with disciplinary issues. Inmates in Class D are not eligible for any good time credit.
Class P
Class P is for individuals who are on house arrest or home detention while awaiting trial. Those in Class P earn one (1) day for every four (4) days served.
Exceptions
I. A person imprisoned for a crime earns good time credit, however, under IC 35-38-2.5.-5, a person does not earn good time credit while on parole or probation.
II. According to IC 35-38-2-2.3d, a person serving an incarceration term, intermittent or consecutive, as a condition of probation, is awarded accrued time but does not earn good time credit.
What Are the Benefits of Case Plan Credit Time?
The Case Plan Credit Time program helps low-risk, incarcerated individuals the opportunity to earn more credit time they would otherwise not receive due to being ineligible for programs based on risk.
Credit can be earned throughout their incarceration as a reward for progressing in case plan goals.
Each person participating in the program will have an Individual Case Plan created surrounding their particular situation.
Individual Case Plans can include action items such as addiction recovery treatment, vocational or educational training, and other types of programming that may reduce the likelihood that the incarcerated individual will relapse.
Estimating Good Time Credit Earned
Criminal offense sentencing and credit time eligibility can be convoluted. By working with an experienced attorney, you can gain the knowledge to understand the details of your sentence and earning good time credit while incarcerated.
To learn more how the credit time law can help your criminal defense case, contact Eskew Law today. Our team of experienced Indiana Lawyers are available to discuss the details and strategize a defense tailored to your individual circumstances.
Facing Criminal Charges? Eskew Law Has You Covered.
If you are facing criminal charges that may result in jail time, contact us today at 317-974-0177 or reach out online to get in touch with one of our experienced Indiana criminal defense attorneys.
Our team at Eskew Law can discuss your case, possible penalties, and create a strategy tailored to your individual situation.
