Barber v. Thomas
Encyclopedia
Barber v. Thomas was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. It concerned how the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons
should calculate "good-time credits", reduced sentences for inmates who stayed out of trouble while in custody.
wrote the majority opinion, while Justice Kennedy wrote the dissent.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
should calculate "good-time credits", reduced sentences for inmates who stayed out of trouble while in custody.
Court decision
The court affirmed the lower court's ruling with a 6-3 vote. Barber's attorneys argued that by allowing up to 54 days' credit for each year "of the prisoner's term of imprisonment," Congress intended federal sentences to be reduced by as much as 54 days for each year of the sentence imposed by the judge. The government argued that the reduction applied at the end of each year that is actually served. Under that interpretation, which prevailed, since the sentence keeps being reduced year after year, less credit in total is awarded. The difference is about one week per year for every federal prisoner serving a term of more than a year's duration. Justice Stephen BreyerStephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
wrote the majority opinion, while Justice Kennedy wrote the dissent.