Court Opinion

ID: 9726163
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 12:35:18.44944+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:23.780849
License: Public Domain

REYNOSO, J.
I dissent. The majority erroneously concludes that the defendant was properly denied good time/work time credits in toto. The good time credit may be denied, says the majority, due to the egregious nature of defendant’s conduct while in jail. Likewise, work time credit may be denied because no work was assigned him and consequently none performed.
*801The majority, I conclude, misconstrues the legislation. (Pen. Code, §§ 2900.5 and 4019.)' First, in the case at bench, the trial court must use its discretion to determine how much good time credit will be lost (§ 2900.5, subd. (d)); the statutory scheme gives guidance to the trial court on how to exercise its discretion (§§ 2931 and 2932).1
2 Second, work time cannot be lost absent a showing, statutorily prescribed, that defendant declined an offer to work (§ 4019 subd. (b)).
The majority concedes that the good time credit statutes (§§ 2900.5 and 4019) apply retroactively to defendant. They fail to note, however, that the most crucial aspect of retroactivity is that the People now have the burden of moving affirmatively to deny the prisoner good time, as well as work time, credit (§ 4019, subds. (b) and (c)).
What does this mean? With respect to work time, it means that in the absence of a showing that defendant refused to abide by the rules of the jail or refused to perform labor assigned the defendant must be granted credit (§ 4019, subd. (c)). Since it does not appear from the record that defendant refused to work, he is entitled to full work time credit. On the other hand, since, the record does contain evidence of his lack of good behavior, defendant is not entitled to full good time credit (§ 4019, subd. (c)).
The question remains as to how much good time credit should be lost to defendant. Defendant’s argument that section 4019, subdivision (c), limits the loss of credits for any rule violation to the one-day credit applicable to the six-day period in which the violation occurs is untenable. However, good time credit may not automatically be revoked in toto. Section 2931 provides guidance for the exercise of the court’s discretion; that code section lists the good time credit which can be lost, relating such a loss to activities which vary in seriousness. Thus, the offense of “[pjhysically assaultive behavior” may result in a denial of good behavior credit for up to 30 days (§ 2931, subd. (b)).3 And section *8022932, subdivision (a), provides for a maximum of not more than 90 days loss of good behavior credit during an 8-month period of incarceration. What appears clear to me is that the trial court must exercise its discretion in determining the loss of credit; the code sections I have mentioned give it guidance, including a maximum for assaultive and violent behavior.
I would remand. The trial court must calculate how much good time credit should be denied defendant. I would order that defendant be given the statutorily provided work time credit.
A petition for a rehearing was denied December 13, 1979. Reynoso, J., was of the opinion that the petition should be granted. Appellant’s petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied January 24, 1980. Bird, C. J., Tobriner, J., and Newman, J., were of the opinion that the petition should be granted.

 All citations are to the Penal Code.

The Legislature needs to address the manner in which good time/work time is to be implemented in a county jail. The procedures and the loss to good time based on the seriousness of infractions has been prescribed for prison inmates, but not for those in county jail. We are left, absent specific legislation, to the imperfect guidance of the prison-related procedures.

It should be noted that whenever a prisoner commits an offense in violation of the terms of his probation this extreme, he subjects himself to and rightfully should be prosecuted independently for the new crime he has committed. (§ 2932, subd. (c).)