South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 13 - Prisoners Generally
Section 24-13-210. Credit given inmates for good behavior.

(A) An inmate convicted of an offense against this State, except a "no parole offense" as defined in Section 24-13-100, and sentenced to the custody of the Department of Corrections, including an inmate serving time in a local facility pursuant to a designated facility agreement authorized by Section 24-3-20 or Section 24-3-30, whose record of conduct shows that he has faithfully observed all the rules of the institution where he is confined and has not been subjected to punishment for misbehavior, is entitled to a deduction from the term of his sentence beginning with the day on which the service of his sentence commences to run, computed at the rate of twenty days for each month served. When two or more consecutive sentences are to be served, the aggregate of the several sentences is the basis upon which the good conduct credit is computed.
(B) An inmate convicted of a "no parole offense" against this State as defined in Section 24-13-100 and sentenced to the custody of the Department of Corrections, including an inmate serving time in a local facility pursuant to a designated facility agreement authorized by Section 24-3-20 or Section 24-3-30, whose record of conduct shows that he has faithfully observed all the rules of the institution where he is confined and has not been subjected to punishment for misbehavior, is entitled to a deduction from the term of his sentence beginning with the day on which the service of his sentence commences to run, computed at the rate of three days for each month served. However, no inmate serving a sentence for life imprisonment or a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for thirty years pursuant to Section 16-3-20 is entitled to credits under this provision. No inmate convicted of a "no parole offense" is entitled to a reduction below the minimum term of incarceration provided in Section 24-13-125 or 24-13-150. When two or more consecutive sentences are to be served, the aggregate of the several sentences is the basis upon which the good conduct credit is computed.
(C) An inmate convicted of an offense against this State and sentenced to a local detention facility, or upon the public works of any county in this State, whose record of conduct shows that he has faithfully observed all the rules of the institution where he is confined, and has not been subjected to punishment for misbehavior, is entitled to a deduction from the term of his sentence beginning with the day on which the service of his sentence commences to run, computed at the rate of one day for every two days served. When two or more consecutive sentences are to be served, the aggregate of the several sentences is the basis upon which good conduct credits must be computed.
(D) If an inmate sentenced to the custody of the Department of Corrections and confined in a facility of the department, confined in a local facility pursuant to a designated facility agreement authorized by Section 24-3-20 or Section 24-3-30, or temporarily confined, held, detained, or placed in any facility which is not under the direct control of the department, to include an inmate on a labor crew or any other assigned detail or placement, or an inmate in transport status, commits an offense or violates one of the rules of the facility during his term of imprisonment, all or part of the good conduct credit he has earned may be forfeited in the discretion of the Director of the Department of Corrections. If an inmate sentenced to a local detention facility or upon the public works of any county in this State, even when temporarily confined, held, detained, or placed in any facility that is not under the direct control of the local detention facility, to include a prisoner on a labor crew or any other assigned detail or placement, or a prisoner in transport status, commits an offense or violates one of the rules of the institution during his term of imprisonment, all or part of the good conduct credit he has earned may be forfeited in the discretion of the local official having charge of the inmate. The decision to withhold forfeited good conduct time is solely the responsibility of officials named in this subsection.
(E) Any person who has served the term of imprisonment for which he has been sentenced less deductions allowed for good conduct is considered upon release to have served the entire term for which he was sentenced unless the person is required to complete a community supervision program pursuant to Section 24-21-560. If the person is required to complete a community supervision program, he must complete his sentence as provided in Section 24-21-560 prior to discharge from the criminal justice system.
(F) No credits earned pursuant to this section may be applied in a manner which would prevent full participation in the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services' prerelease or community supervision program as provided in Section 24-21-560.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 55-8; 1952 Code Section 55-8; 1942 Code Section 1578; 1932 Code Section 1578; Cr. C. '22 Section 531; 1914 (28) 617; 1935 (39) 467; 1938 (40) 1833; 1955 (49) 475; 1956 (49) 1776; 1958 (50) 1910; 1959 (51) 123; 1960 (51) 1917; 1973 (58) 428; 1980 Act No. 513, Section 1; 1986 Act No. 462, Section 13; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 437; 1995 Act No. 83, Section 26; 2010 Act No. 237, Section 72, eff June 11, 2010.
Effect of Amendment
The 2010 amendment rewrote the section.

Structure South Carolina Code of Laws