My case manager, Ms. Oliver, paged me to her office this morning. I had requested an updated sentence computation sheet. Prisoners may request this form at any time and since the law under which I was sentenced offers different types of credit for good time, I request an updated sentence computation sheet at the beginning of each year. From the sentence computation sheet that I received, I can estimate when I will become eligible for release by the parole board.
It’s unfortunate, but few prisoners in the federal prison system have parole eligibility. Congress passed laws in the 1980s that required federal prisoners to serve the majority of their time inside prison boundaries. When parole was available, prisoners served one third of their sentences in prison, they could earn credit for as much as one third of their sentences through good behavior, and they could serve one third of their sentences in the community under the supervision of a parole officer.
A portion of my sentence is parole eligible, but I have a dispute with the Bureau of Prisons as to when the parole board can release me. The sentence computation I received today will help me make my argument. It shows that the BOP has credited my sentence with a total of 1,373 days of Extra Good Time (EGT) and another 5,400 days of Statutory Good Time (SGT). As of today, I can add those two types of good time for a total of 6,773 days of good time credit that I’ve received.
In addition to the good time credits, I have served 8,200 days as a federal prisoner. That means I have a total credit toward the completion of my sentence of 14,973 days. It is my contention, based on established laws, that the parole board can consider me for release after I serve 15,706 days. With the good time credits that I will continue to receive, and the calendar days that I must serve, I estimate that I will become eligible for release on parole in November of 2011. This is the dispute I must resolve because the BOP holds that I’m not eligible for parole consideration until April of 2013.
I wrote a lengthy letter that explains my argument today, and I sent copies of the letter to attorneys who have taken an interest in my case. Once I hear back from them on the merits of my argument, I will decide how to proceed. This effort of arguing for liberty can take several months. It’s exhausting but something I must resolve this year.
I ran only four miles this morning because I felt nauseous.
[Consecutive running log: 3,590 miles over the past 405 consecutive days]
Thursday, 21 January 2010
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