Can sentence credits change release date

At Pleasant Valley State Prison, your son’s father is under California state rules, which are different from federal sentencing changes you may have heard about.

About the “1/3 time” you mentioned:
That type of reduction is often misunderstood. In California:

• Inmates earn credits based on classification, behavior, and program participation
• Those credits are already factored into the projected release date you see

If applying a different formula would result in a later release date, it will not be used. The system always applies the calculation that benefits the inmate within the rules.

About federal law changes:
The sentencing reforms you heard about apply to federal inmates, not state prisons like this one. While states sometimes adopt similar changes, it is not automatic.

Can his date be recalculated earlier?
It is possible, but not common unless:

• There is a new law passed in California that applies retroactively
• There was an error in the original calculation
• He earns additional credits through programs (if available)

In most cases, the current release date already reflects:

• Good behavior credits
• Standard time reductions allowed by the state

So the date you have, December 3, 2014, is likely the correct projected release based on his current credits.