Dallas County Jail

Good Behavior

Interview with Charles, m ray, Leon, Jean, Accountant, Gene, Lil Will and Cam

JM: Did you get off early based on good behavior?
Charles: No, on probation violations you do day for day.
m ray: yes on any county charge u get good time unless its a probation violation or a state charge but on state jail felonys u can gat whats called a 1244a which u take the felony conviction but do class a mis time in the county instead of state jail
Leon: No I was sentenced to TDC time.
Jean: You don't get any time off for good behavior. If you get 8 months, you do 8 months. If they sentence you to 30 days, you do 30 days. You don't get to go outside and smoke a cigarette and eat a burger. Normally, in the situations that I was in, the only people that I saw get out early was because they were running out of room. It doesn't really happen in a county level. A good behavior thing only happens in prison.
Accountant: No, I posted bond
Gene: Yes
Lil Will: On misdemeanors its 3 to 1 good time. On felonies it depends.
Cam: NO.

JM: What is the most time off you can receive for good behavior?
Charles: I have heard everyone gets 3 for 1 day if you aren't in on a probation violation, TDC hold, etc.
m ray: 3days for every 1
Leon: Credit for 3 days for 1 day served.
Jean: I know a lot of people that have been to jail, and I don't know any that have gotten out for good behavior.
Accountant: Don't Know.
Gene: 3 for 1 when I was there in 1986.
Lil Will: 3 to 1 for county charges. I think is 150 a day for fines.
Cam: Don't know.

JM: What types of actions do you need to avoid in order to get time off?
Charles: Nothing, just don't get into trouble.
m ray: 1 thing the charge has to be a state jail felony or any mis and dont act stupid
Leon: Nothing in Dallas County Jail.
Jean: I would say, straight up, it doesn't matter what you do - there isn't going to be any time off. I never saw anyone during my incarceration, which went on for 2 or 2 1/2 years, in and out, in and out. My lawyer cut a deal with the county (I was in County Jail) to get my back time and they ended counting it as 180 days anyway. He charged me the same amount of money to pay the fine in full and do 180 days. You're not going to find those Boston Legal guys here to save the day for you. Everybody gets a public defender - he'll have so many clients he won't know if he's in court or not.

I actually hired my own attorney (I had a public defender at first, which was the same defender I had had all along, but he just wasn't willing to work for me anymore). So I hired a private attorney, which obviously wasn't any better at it than the public defender was. In all honesty, though, a good attorney can help you reduce your sentence or even avoid jail for certain types of crimes.
Accountant: I would assume "fighting", and "arguing" with the staff.
Gene: Be a trustee. I've been one in the book-in area each time I've been there. They used to use ink for finger prints back then. It's probably a scan by now. I don't intend to find out any time soon.
Cam: Avoid fighting, and follow all the rules within the jail system so that you do not get a disciplinary write up that could cause you to lose your good time.