If you or someone you love is doing time in New Hampshire, the release date is shaped by one of the most distinctive credit systems in the country. New Hampshire courts impose a minimum and a maximum sentence. But instead of earning good time that subtracts from the sentence, New Hampshire adds 150 days of "bad time" for every year of the minimum - and the person earns good time to erase those days. With perfect conduct, parole eligibility arrives at the minimum. With disciplinary problems, the parole eligibility date is pushed out by whatever bad time remains. The maximum sentence is the absolute outer limit.
This guide walks through how New Hampshire calculates a release date step by step: the minimum and maximum sentence structure, how the bad time and good time system works, what happens at the parole hearing, mandatory minimums for specific offenses, life sentences, and the sentence reduction petition. None of this is legal advice, but it will help you read your own time the way the New Hampshire Department of Corrections does.
Here is the short version.
New Hampshire uses indeterminate sentencing. The court sets a minimum and a maximum. At sentencing, 150 days of bad time are added for each year of the minimum sentence. Good time is earned during incarceration at the same rate - 150 days per year of the minimum - and applied to erase the bad time. If perfect conduct is maintained and all good time is earned, the person is eligible for parole at the minimum sentence. If disciplinary problems remain, the parole eligibility date is pushed out by the number of bad time days not yet erased. The New Hampshire Adult Parole Board then makes a discretionary decision. If parole is never granted, the person is discharged at the maximum.
Step one: the minimum and maximum structure
New Hampshire courts impose both a minimum and a maximum sentence for state prison felonies.
The minimum sentence is the baseline for parole eligibility. The maximum sentence is the outer limit - the state cannot hold a person beyond the maximum. When a sentence is announced, it describes both: for example, 10 to 20 years means a 10-year minimum and a 20-year maximum.
At sentencing, the sentence does not simply stand at those two numbers. The minimum is immediately adjusted upward by adding bad time, and then good time earned during incarceration is used to bring the adjusted minimum back down toward the original minimum. Understanding this adjustment is the foundation of understanding a New Hampshire sentence.
Felony classes in New Hampshire set the range of available sentences. Class A felonies carry a maximum of 7.5 years; Class B felonies carry a maximum of 3.5 years for a base term. Judges may impose extended terms beyond those maximums based on specific aggravating factors, extending the maximum to 20, 30, or 40 years in some cases. The specific sentence within that range is set at the judge's discretion.
Step two: the bad time and good time system
New Hampshire's credit system is the inverse of most states. Instead of earning good time that reduces the sentence, the system adds bad time first and requires good conduct to erase it.
At the start of the sentence, 150 days of bad time are added for each year of the minimum sentence. On a minimum of 10 years, that produces 1,500 days of bad time (10 x 150 = 1,500). These days sit on top of the minimum, extending the parole eligibility date beyond the original minimum.
Good time is then earned at the same rate: 150 days per year of the minimum, credited throughout the incarceration period for maintaining good conduct and performing assigned duties faithfully and peaceably. As good time is earned, it is applied to erase the accumulated bad time.
If the person maintains perfect conduct and earns all available good time, the entire 1,500 days of bad time is erased and the parole eligibility date equals the original minimum - 10 years in this example.
If the person incurs disciplinary violations, some bad time days may not be erased by good time. Whatever bad time remains at the end of the minimum period delays the parole eligibility date by that number of days. A person with 300 days of unerased bad time would not reach parole eligibility until 10 years plus 300 days (roughly 10 years and 10 months).
The key principle: there is no shortcut to an earlier parole eligibility date through good conduct alone. The best outcome is reaching the original minimum on schedule. Good conduct keeps the parole date at the minimum; discipline pushes it out.
Step three: the Parole Board and how it decides
Reaching the parole eligibility date opens the door to a hearing by the New Hampshire Adult Parole Board. Getting there does not guarantee release.
The Parole Board is responsible for paroling prisoners from the state prison. Hearings are generally held on Thursdays at the New Hampshire State Prison for Men in Concord and at the New Hampshire Correctional Facility for Women in Concord. At the initial parole hearing, the Board evaluates the person's institutional conduct, programming, the nature of the offense, risk, victim input, and the release plan. Future hearings after a denial are discretionary with the Board and may depend on the person's progress in the intervening period.
If parole is granted, the person is released to community supervision. The Board maintains legal custody of all persons released on parole until they receive a final discharge or are recommitted to prison. Final discharge occurs upon the expiration of the maximum sentence, provided no revocation proceedings are pending.
If parole is denied, the process continues on the Board's schedule until parole is granted or the maximum sentence is reached.
Members of the public who wish to attend a parole hearing must be 18 or older and must contact the Office of the New Hampshire Adult Parole Board in advance. Media attending hearings must obtain security clearance from the NHDOC Public Information Office no later than one week before the hearing date.
Step four: mandatory minimums and parole exclusions
Certain New Hampshire offenses carry mandatory minimum terms that interact with the parole system differently.
For a second or subsequent offense for the felonious use of a firearm, the law imposes a mandatory minimum of 3 years of imprisonment. This mandatory term must be served consecutively - not concurrent with any other sentence - and the parole provisions of the standard parole law do not apply during the mandatory term. This means the standard bad time and good time calculation is set aside for that portion of the sentence.
Certain felonies subject to extended term sentencing also carry mandatory minimums ranging from 10 to 35 years. Examples include offenses related to negligent homicide, aggravated DWI, aggravated felonious sexual assault, and child murder. For these offenses, the mandatory minimum must be served before parole eligibility can be considered.
Families should review the sentencing order carefully to determine whether any mandatory minimum applies and what the parole consequences are. When a mandatory minimum removes parole eligibility, the person must serve the full mandatory period before the Board can act.
Step five: life sentences
Life sentences in New Hampshire are governed by separate provisions.
First degree murder currently carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The standard parole eligibility process does not apply to first degree murder sentences.
For all other life sentences - not first degree murder - an offender may be given a life permit (effectively parole) at any time after serving 18 years. The Board reviews these cases and makes a discretionary decision.
In 2025, the New Hampshire Legislature considered HB 638, a bill that would allow prisoners 60 years of age or older who are serving first degree murder sentences to become eligible for parole after serving at least 18 years with demonstrated good behavior. Families of people serving first degree murder sentences should verify the current status of that legislation with the New Hampshire Department of Corrections.
Step six: the sentence reduction petition
A defendant sentenced to state prison in New Hampshire has the right to petition the original sentencing court to reduce the sentence. This is a separate pathway from parole - it changes the sentence itself rather than seeking early release from it.
The petitioning process depends on when the crime was committed. For crimes that occurred before January 1, 1993, the defendant may petition the court every two years. For crimes that occurred between January 1, 1993 and July 22, 1994, the defendant must serve two thirds of the minimum sentence before filing a petition. If the court accepts the petition, a hearing is scheduled before the original sentencing judge. These hearings are public. The State will oppose the petition.
Petitions are generally unsuccessful in the vast majority of homicide cases, and most defendants serve the full minimum imposed at original sentencing. For other serious felony cases, the outcome depends heavily on the circumstances and the judge.
Putting it together: a worked example
Here is how the pieces fit, using an example. None of these numbers are legal advice, but they show the method.
Take a person sentenced to 5 to 10 years for a Class A felony. The minimum is 5 years. At sentencing, 750 days of bad time are added (5 years x 150 days = 750). Good time is earned throughout incarceration at the same rate - 750 days total if conduct is perfect. If the person earns all available good time, the 750 bad time days are fully erased and the parole eligibility date is exactly 5 years from the sentence start. The Adult Parole Board then holds a hearing.
If the person receives a serious disciplinary sanction that costs 150 days of good time, those 150 days of bad time cannot be erased. The parole eligibility date moves out by 150 days - to roughly 5 years and 5 months.
If the Board grants parole, the person is supervised until the maximum of 10 years. If the Board denies parole and never grants it, discharge occurs at 10 years - the maximum.
The bottom line for New Hampshire
New Hampshire's release date is anchored by the minimum and maximum the court imposed. The bad time system adds 150 days for every year of the minimum, and good conduct erases those days to keep the parole eligibility date at the original minimum. Disciplinary violations leave bad time that pushes the parole date out. The Parole Board then makes a discretionary decision. Mandatory minimums for certain offenses remove parole eligibility until the mandatory term is served. Life sentences other than first degree murder carry an 18-year minimum before a life permit can be granted. First degree murder is life without parole under current law.
The practical takeaways are clear. First, understand that good conduct in New Hampshire keeps the parole date at the minimum - there is no way to earn an earlier date, but bad time extends it. Second, complete recommended programming before the parole hearing, because the Board weighs institutional conduct and program completion. Third, for families tracking long sentences or mandatory minimums, verify with the New Hampshire Department of Corrections what the bad time calculation produces and when the parole eligibility date falls. Ask NHDOC for the current parole eligibility date and the maximum discharge date.
Frequently asked questions
How is a release date calculated in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire uses indeterminate sentencing with a minimum and a maximum. The minimum is the baseline for parole eligibility. At sentencing, 150 days of bad time are added for each year of the minimum. Good time earned during incarceration erases those bad time days. With perfect conduct, parole eligibility falls at the minimum. Remaining bad time pushes the eligibility date out. The maximum is the outer limit - if parole is never granted, discharge occurs at the maximum.
Does New Hampshire have parole?
Yes. The New Hampshire Adult Parole Board makes discretionary release decisions for prisoners sentenced to state prison. Parole hearings are generally held on Thursdays at the state prisons in Concord. The Board considers institutional conduct, programming, the offense, risk, victim input, and the release plan. After an initial denial, future hearings are at the Board's discretion and depend on the person's progress.
What is the bad time system in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire does not offer time off for good behavior in the traditional sense. Instead, 150 days of bad time are added for each year of the minimum sentence at the start. Good time is earned throughout incarceration to erase those days. If all good time is earned, no bad time remains and parole eligibility arrives at the original minimum. If disciplinary violations result in lost good time, the remaining bad time days extend the parole eligibility date beyond the minimum.
What are mandatory minimums in New Hampshire?
Certain New Hampshire offenses carry mandatory minimum sentences during which parole does not apply. A second or subsequent felonious use of a firearm conviction carries a 3-year mandatory minimum served consecutively with no parole. Certain serious extended-term offenses carry mandatory minimums of 10 to 35 years. For these offenses, the standard parole calculation does not apply until the mandatory minimum is served.
What is a sentence reduction petition in New Hampshire?
Any defendant sentenced to state prison may petition the original sentencing court to reduce the sentence. For crimes before January 1, 1993, the petition can be filed every two years. For crimes between January 1, 1993 and July 22, 1994, the defendant must serve two thirds of the minimum before filing. A hearing is held before the original sentencing judge. This process changes the sentence itself and is separate from parole.
How do life sentences work in New Hampshire?
First degree murder carries mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of parole under current New Hampshire law. For all other life sentences, an offender may be given a life permit (parole) after serving 18 years, at the Board's discretion. In 2025, the Legislature considered a bill that would allow elderly first degree murder prisoners to become eligible for parole after 18 years and demonstrated good behavior - families should verify the current status of that legislation.
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