ColoradoInmate Earned Time Formula for Sentence to Department of Corrections
What it does
An inmate who is serving a sentence to the department of corrections (DOC) for certain lower level criminal offenses, has not incurred a penal discipline violation within a specified time period, and is program compliant is currently eligible to earn 12 days of earned time per month. The act increases eligibility to 14 days per month. An inmate who is serving a sentence for, or who has been previously convicted of, certain higher level criminal offenses, including a felony offense listed in the 'Victim Rights Act', is currently eligible to earn 10 days of earned time per month.
More detail
The act increases eligibility to 12 days per month. An inmate who completes a milestone or phase of a behavioral health program in an area related to recovery from a condition that contributed to the inmate's underlying offense may be awarded up to 150 days of earned time. The DOC is directed to enact policy changes to incentivize inmates to pursue activities that award earned time. The act creates a working group to make recommendations for a capacity management plan (plan) for the DOC with input from impacted groups. The plan must be informed by strategies to assess prison programming and clinical care, inmate release processes, services for successful release outcomes, prison population management, and prison capacity changes. Members of the house of representatives judiciary committee, the senate judiciary committee, and the joint budget committee may submit in writing to the chair of the working group a request to prioritize specific issues or provide other relevant information. The working group shall submit an interim and a final report to the general assembly, the DOC's certified employee organization, and the governor's office.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 19Governor Jared Polis SignedBecame Law
- May 5Signed by the Speaker of the HouseMajor
- May 5Sent to the GovernorTo Governor
- May 4Signed by the President of the SenateMajor
- Apr 30House Third Reading Passed - No AmendmentsPassed House
- Vote recorded BILL. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 29House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
- Apr 28House Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to House Committee of the WholeMinor
- Vote recorded Refer Senate Bill 26-159 to the Committee of the Whole. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Refer Senate Bill 26-159 to the Committee of the Whole. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 20Senate Third Reading Passed - No AmendmentsPassed Senate
- Vote recorded BILL. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 20Introduced In House - Assigned to JudiciaryMinor
- Apr 17Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, FloorMinor
- Apr 16Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/17/2026 - No Amendments
- Apr 13Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the WholeMinor
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment F). Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Refer Senate Bill 26-159, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 9Introduced In Senate - Assigned to JudiciaryIntroduced