House Bills 4497, 4498, and 4499, first introduced March 3, 2009, and sponsored by Rep. Cushingberry, allow "good time" credits for prisoners and allow for community placement of prisoners who meet certain criteria.

The laws would eliminate the requirement set forth by "truth in sentencing" legislation that prisoners could not be released before their minimum sentence was met.

House Bill 4497 would amend current laws to allow current and future prisoners to receive "good time" credits consistent with House Bill 4498, and allow prisoners to be placed in community release programs under certain circumstances.

The bill aims to delete all references in Michigan law to the "disciplinary credit" system that replaced the older "good time" system that was eliminated for all felons in 1987. It also would repeal a law prohibiting the parole board from granting parole earlier than the prisoner's minimum sentence for certain crimes, which was created by a ballot proposal passed by Michigan voters in 1978.

The first bill in the package would also delete any references in Michigan law to prisoners being subject to truth-in-sentencing requirements, and would allow a prisoners, including one sentenced under truth-in-sentencing rules, to be paroled before serving the minimum prison term imposed by the court.

House Bill 4498 would amend Michigan's prison code to allow

good time" credits to be earned by prisoners currently ineligible for them.

Under this new "good time" system, a prisoner could earn sentence reductions for months he or she had no major misconduct. During the first and second year of a sentence, prisoners earn five days for each month without misconduct, six days for each month during the third and fourth year of the sentence, seven days during the fifth and sixth year, nine days during the seventh through ninth years, 10 days during the 10th through 14th years, 12 days during the 15th through 19th years, and 15 days during and beyond the 20th year of incarceration.

For example, a prisoner sentenced to 10 years in prison who earns

good time" credits every month of their incarceration would have 675 days worth of credits saved up after the third month of their ninth year in prison, potentially allowing them to be paroled by the parole board 21 months earlier than the 10 years originally sentenced.

As well as being subtracted from the prisoner's minimum sentence, the credits would also be subtracted from maximum discharge dates.

House Bill 4499 would delete all references to prisoners who are subject to truth-in-sentencing.