HB143 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Phillip PettusRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Crimes and offenses, crime causing deatn of another person, defendant not eligible for good time, Sergeant Nick Risner Act, Sec. 14-9-41 am'd.

Summary

The Sergeant Nick Risner Act amends Alabama's good-time rules, limiting who can earn incentive time and granting authorities power to forfeit or restore it.

What This Bill Does

It amends Section 14-9-41 to specify who is eligible for correctional incentive time and who is not, introducing disqualifications for certain offenses (Class A felonies, crimes causing death with a deadly weapon, life or long sentences, and sex offenses involving a child) and restricting Class I placement for some violent or sexual crimes. It creates a four-class inmate system (Class I–IV) that determines how much good time can be earned (Class I = 75 days per 30 days served; Class II = 40 days; Class III = 20 days; Class IV = none). It gives the Department of Corrections power to forfeit accrued good time for rule violations and to restore forfeited time, and sets rules for calculating deductions when multiple sentences are served. It includes administrative and retroactive provisions, noting who administers the program and that deductions may have retroactive application under certain conditions.

Who It Affects

• Inmates in Alabama state prisons, county jails, and municipal jails who are eligible to earn correctional incentive time, depending on their classification and behavior.
• Prisoners convicted of offenses that disqualify them from good time (Class A felonies, crimes causing death by a deadly weapon, life or more than 15 years, and sex offenses involving a child).
• Prisoners who commit offenses or violate prison rules, whose accrued good-time can be forfeited and potentially restored by the commissioner.
• Corrections staff, sheriffs, and police chiefs who administer the good-time program and classify inmates.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Sergeant Nick Risner Act and amends Section 14-9-41 to govern correctional incentive (good-time) credits.
• Defines four inmate classes (I–IV) with different good-time deductions and states that Class IV receives no good time, with requirements that inmates pass through lower classes before advancing.
• Specifies disqualifications for receiving good time: conviction of a Class A felony; death caused by a deadly weapon; life or long-term sentences; and a sex offense involving a child; and restricts placement in Class I for certain violent or sexual offenses.
• Authorizes the forfeiture of accrued good time for rule violations and authorizes restoration of forfeited time by the commissioner on recommendation from the warden; includes provisions for how this interacts with multiple sentences and retroactive effects.
• Establishes administration by the appropriate official (institution chief, sheriff, or police chief) and sets an effective date to become law on the first day of the third month after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Crimes and Offenses