Appeals Court Makes Ruling On "Shock Time" Sentences

A state appeals court says so-called “shock time” sentences cannot be counted as prior prison commitments if a person is later convicted and sentenced to a regular prison term. State law says that convicted felons have to serve one-third of their sentences if it’s a serious felony, before they’re eligible for parole – and 15 percent for minor ones – if they have no prior convictions. With prior convictions, it’s at least 40 percent. The court ruling says shock time should not be considered a prior conviction in calculating eligibility for parole. The court says the ruling applies retroactively, meaning that thousands of people in prison now could be eligible for parole sooner than they or the prison system expect. Attorney General Jay Nixon says he’ll appeal the ruling.