302.43 Good time. Every inmate of a county jail is eligible to earn good time in the amount of one-fourth of his or her term for good behavior if sentenced to at least 4 days, but fractions of a day shall be ignored. An inmate shall be given credit for time served prior to sentencing under s. 973.155, including good time under s. 973.155 (4). An inmate who violates any law or any regulation of the jail, or neglects or refuses to perform any duty lawfully required of him or her, may be deprived by the sheriff of good time under this section, except that the sheriff shall not deprive the inmate of more than 2 days good time for any one offense without the approval of the court. An inmate who files an action or special proceeding, including a petition for a common law writ of certiorari, to which s. 807.15 applies shall be deprived of the number of days of good time specified in the court order prepared under s. 807.15 (3). This section does not apply to a person who is confined in the county jail in connection with his or her participation in a substance abuse treatment program that meets the requirements of s. 165.95 (3), as determined by the department of justice under s. 165.95 (9) and (10).

History: 1977 c. 353; 1989 a. 31 s. 1667; Stats. 1989 s. 302.43; 1997 a. 133; 2005 a. 25; 2013 a. 20.

A person confined in jail as a condition of probation is not entitled to earn good time. State v. Fearing, 2000 WI App 229, 239 Wis. 2d 105, 619 N.W.2d 115, 99-2849.

When the defendant was sentenced to 10 months in the house of correction for battery and 7 years in state prison for intimidation, he was not entitled to “good time" credit for his house of correction sentence, which should be applied to his prison sentence. The trial court was required to construe the defendant's sentences as a single sentence, which put the sentences under the purview of s. 973.01. Because the defendant was, under the terms of the statutes, an inmate of the prison system rather than the county jail, this section, the county jail “good time" statute, does not apply to his sentence. State v. Harris, 2011 WI App 130, 337 Wis. 2d 222, 805 N.W.2d 386, 10-1955.

One confined for civil (remedial) contempt is not eligible to earn good time, but one confined for criminal (punitive) contempt is eligible. 74 Atty. Gen. 96.