Providing for the Diminution of Sentences Imposed upon Prisoners in Consideration of Good Conduct and Diligence

August 30, 1906

ACT NO. 1533

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DIMINUTION OF SENTENCES IMPOSED UPON PRISONERS CONVICTED OF ANY OFFENSE AND SENTENCED FOR A DEFINITE TERM OF MORE THAN THIRTY DAYS AND LESS THAN LIFE IN CONSIDERATION OF GOOD CONDUCT AND DILIGENCE

SECTION 1.  Each convict who is sentenced for a definite term of more than thirty days and less than life shall be entitled to diminish the period of his sentence under the following rules and regulations:

(a) For each full month, commencing with the first day of his arrival at a provincial or Insular jail or prison, during which he has not been guilty of a violation of discipline or any of the rules of the prison, and has labored with diligence and fidelity upon all such tasks as have been assigned to him, he shall be allowed a deduction of five days from the period of his sentence.

(b) After he has served two full years of a sentence, the deduction shall be eight days for each month thereafter.

(c) After he has served five full years of a sentence, the deduction shall be ten days for each month thereafter.

(d) After he has served ten full years of his sentence, the deduction from his term shall be fifteen days for each month thereafter.

SECTION 2.  For a grave violation of the rules and discipline, or for persistent lack of fidelity and care in the performance of work, a prisoner shall not only forfeit all the time gained for the month in which the delinquency occurred, but, according to the aggravated nature and frequency of his offenses, a portion or all of his time previously gained may be deducted; but if it shall appear from the conduct record of the prisoner, or from the circumstances under which the violation of the rules and discipline was committed, that there were special mitigating circumstances, the standing of the prisoner may be restored to him, in whole or in part.

SECTION 3.  If a prisoner be prevented from laboring by sickness, or from infirmity not evidently imposed by himself, or by other cause for which he is not responsible, he shall be entitled for good conduct to the same deduction from his sentence each month as above provided.

SECTION 4.  For especially meritorious conduct the whole, or any portion, of the time lost through infractions of the rules or discipline may be restored to the prisoner.

SECTION 5.  Detention prisoners who voluntarily offer in writing to perform such labor as may be assigned to them shall be entitled to a credit in accordance with the provisions of this Act, which shall be deducted from such sentence as may be imposed upon them in the event of their conviction.

SECTION 6.  All prisoners who are actually undergoing sentence when this Act goes into effect shall be entitled to diminution of their sentences for the time served since January first, nineteen hundred, in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 7.  Subject to such review, and in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be prescribed from time to time by the Secretary of Public Instruction, the wardens or officers in charge of Insular or provincial jails or prisons shall make and keep such records, and take such further actions as may be necessary for the carrying out of the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 8.  The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred.

SECTION 9.  This Act shall take effect on its passage. SCaITA

ENACTED, August 30, 1906.