In 1993, the Texas legislature created a new category of offenses: state jail felonies. State jail felony offenses are generally low level property or drug crimes, which are punishable by confinement in a state jail facility for a period of six months to two years.
State jails are low-risk facilities that are operated at lower costs than state prisons, which house inmates convicted of first, second or third degree felonies. Unlike time served in county jail or prison, a state jail sentence must be served day-for-day. An inmate cannot earn good conduct time or parole in a state jail facility, which is why defendants charged with a state jail felony often seek a reduction in punishment through 12.44(a) or 12.44 (b.)