Conditions of Good Time in Wisconsin

Have you heard of “good time” in reference to criminal cases? It’s a reward available to some inmates of a county jail who have demonstrated good behavior.

According to Section 302.43 of the Wisconsin Statutes, eligible inmates can “earn good time in the amount of one-fourth of his or her term.” So the sentence will be reduced 25% for good behavior, including credit for time spent in custody while awaiting sentencing.

Good time can just as easily be taken away if the defendant behaves poorly. The Wisconsin Statutes explain:

“An inmate who violates any law or any regulation of the jail, or neglects or refuses to perform any duty lawfully required of him or her, may be deprived by the sheriff of good time under this section, except that the sheriff shall not deprive the inmate of more than two days good time for any one offense without the approval of the court…”

Unfortunately, there’s an exception. If an individual is serving in a county jail as a portion of a probation sentence, good time cannot be earned for this. The full “conditional jail” time must be served. However, if the sheriff orders home monitoring, a defendant can serve conditional jail time at home.

Have you been accused of a crime? Let Huppertz & Powers, S.C. draw from years of proven experience to fight for your rights and protect you from charges you don’t deserve. You can schedule a meeting today by calling 262-549-5979 or by using our online contact form. The first meeting’s on us.