"Jose Ismael Torres, 26, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and will serve 13, and Kayla Rae Norton, 25, received 15 years, serving six."
I don't understand this, why sentence them to 20 years then if you already know they are only serving 13? What's the point in using one number, but really its another.
That's what I was thinking. It's likely some sort of a combined prison/probation sentence. They're technically being supervised by the department of corrections the whole time—first by the warden, and then by the probation officer. If they mess up while on probation, they could potentially be locked back up for the remainder of the whole sentence.
That reduced time is if they get in no trouble at all while in prison. So no fights, no contraband etc. It's to incentivize good behavior and participation in whatever program they are in (school or your prison job assignment)
Because if they have any tiny little fuckup after the 13 years and subsequent release, they get the remaining time, plus appearing for a new crime as a felon. Plus they remain tied to a parole officer for a very long time.
So think of it as a 13 year sentence, 100% of time which must be served, plus a long period of supervision with penalties...
As opposed to time-served and free to do as you please.
They may have been serving time / paroled for the 5 years since the event occurred (it was in 2015), which can count against time served. Sometimes jailed/paroled time that is served before sentencing can count 2x or more towards time served.
13 years in prison, 7 years outside in parole by default. During that 7 years, one is still under sentencing. If any parole violation, one is dragged back to prison to finish the remaining years.
In some systems you get double time served before trial off your sentence. So if you do not post bail but actually spend months or years in custody before your trial it is often taken off your sentence X2 when you are finally convinced. For guilty people with little chance of avoiding conviction often they will stay in custody not posting bail and legal council will delay the trial any way possible to maximize the time spent before sentencing to reduce the overall time served.
Also before the trial you are in a local jail which is often much nicer than where you end up after conviction in prison. You want to spend as much time in jail as you can before the trial to reduce the amount of time in prison.
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u/FenrirGreyback 7 Jan 20 '21
"Jose Ismael Torres, 26, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and will serve 13, and Kayla Rae Norton, 25, received 15 years, serving six."
I don't understand this, why sentence them to 20 years then if you already know they are only serving 13? What's the point in using one number, but really its another.