Now, before you get any ideas, this is not going to be an article detailing how to dig a hole from a jail cell to the freeway, or blast through bars with some crazy chemical concoction. However, if you are interested in learning about legal ways to shorten your prison sentence, you've come to the right place. Of course, we all hope never to be in a situation where this kind of information would be helpful, but it's always better to be prepared. Here are three ways that you can get out of jail faster, no digging or explosives required.
The Benefits of Good Behavior
You've probably heard about how good behavior can shorten a prison sentence. Well, it's true. If you cooperate while incarcerated, obey authority figures, and stay out of trouble, your sentence can be shorten by about 13%. As it stands now, the law states that you can earn up to 54 days of good behavior credit per year while you are in jail.
As an example, if you were sentenced to five years in prison, but played by the rules and behaved well, you could be released after 4.25 years. That number could even increase. New bills are often put forth that push for more good behavior credits. In other words, it pays to behave. No sense making things worse and ending up in prison even longer then necessary.
Using Your Time to Recover from Addiction
A second way that you can potentially shorten your sentence is by completing an addiction recovery program while in jail. Although putting people in jail is meant to be seen as a punishment and as a way to keep dangerous people off the streets, it is also hoped that time in jail can be spent correcting behavior so that future criminal activity is less likely.
In some cases, it might be possible to skip prison time altogether by enrolling in, and completing, an approved course of addiction recovery. However, even if you do still end up in jail, more and more states are incorporating in-house treatment programs into their facilities and proper completion of one of these programs could shave some time off of your original prison sentence.
Put in Some Hard Work as a Trustee
A third way to possibly shorten your sentence is to become a prison trustee. If you meet certain qualifications like a history of good behavior, a low bond, and a non-violent conviction, you can volunteer to work as a trustee for the prison. This means that you will be assigned work to do around the prison, things like painting walls, cleaning bathrooms, taking out the garbage, and sometimes even kitchen work.
If you maintain your good behavior record and do good work as a trustee, you can often use that work and history to bargain for a shorter prison sentence. Once again, good behavior and a strong work ethic can go a long way toward getting you home sooner.
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