New Laws - Diminution of Sentence for "Good Time"

The Louisiana Legislature met in a special session at the request of Governor Landry in February and passed several new laws impacting the criminal justice system.

Undoing an extensive number of changes made during the previous governor’s tenure, as of August 1, 2024, no defendant serving a sentence for an offense committed on or after August 1, 2024, is entitled to earn good time, with a limited number of exceptions:

• Individuals serving a sentence for a felony conviction (not a sex offense or an offense pursuant to a habitual offender prosecution) in parish prison or a department of corrections facility are eligible to earn up to 15% off their sentence. The balance of their sentence, upon release, must be served on “unsupervised parole”.

Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 893 has been amended to extend the maximum term of probation from three years to five years.

With regard to probation, many changes were made with regard to “technical” violations and administrative revocations, as well as the requirements for eligibility for technical violations. La C.Cr.P. Art. 900.

If you or someone you know is facing criminal prosecution and you would like to schedule a consult, give us a call at (318) 459-9111 to schedule a consultation.