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34 USC § 12104 - Truth-in-sentencing incentive grants

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t34/s12104"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "34 USC § 12104 - Truth-in-sentencing incentive grants"
title_number: 34
title_name: "CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT"
section_number: "12104"
section_name: "Truth-in-sentencing incentive grants"
chapter_number: 121
chapter_name: "VIOLENT CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "PRISONS"
part_number: "A"
part_name: "Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth-in-Sentencing Incentive Grants"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 103–322, title II, § 20104, as added Pub. L. 104–134, title I, § 101[(a)] [title I, § 114(a)], Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321, 1321–16; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104–140, § 1(a), May 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 1327; amended Pub. L. 106–297, § 2, Oct. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 1045.)"
---

# § 12104. Truth-in-sentencing incentive grants

**(a)** **Eligibility** To be eligible to receive a grant award under this section, a State shall submit an application to the Attorney General that demonstrates that—

**(1)**

**(A)** such State has implemented truth-in-sentencing laws that—

**(i)** require persons convicted of a part 1 violent crime to serve not less than 85 percent of the sentence imposed (without counting time not actually served, such as administrative or statutory incentives for good behavior); or

**(ii)** result in persons convicted of a part 1 violent crime serving on average not less than 85 percent of the sentence imposed (without counting time not actually served, such as administrative or statutory incentives for good behavior);

**(B)** such State has truth-in-sentencing laws that have been enacted, but not yet implemented, that require such State, not later than 3 years after such State submits an application to the Attorney General, to provide that persons convicted of a part 1 violent crime serve not less than 85 percent of the sentence imposed (without counting time not actually served, such as administrative or statutory incentives for good behavior); or

**(C)** in the case of a State that on April 26, 1996, practices indeterminate sentencing with regard to any part 1 violent crime—

**(i)** persons convicted of a part 1 violent crime on average serve not less than 85 percent of the prison term established under the State’s sentencing and release guidelines; or

**(ii)** persons convicted of a part 1 violent crime on average serve not less than 85 percent of the maximum prison term allowed under the sentence imposed by the court (not counting time not actually served such as administrative or statutory incentives for good behavior); and

**(2)** such State has provided assurances that it will follow guidelines established by the Attorney General in reporting, on a quarterly basis, information regarding the death of any person who is in the process of arrest, is en route to be incarcerated, or is incarcerated at a municipal or county jail, State prison, or other local or State correctional facility (including any juvenile facility) that, at a minimum, includes—

**(A)** the name, gender, race, ethnicity, and age of the deceased;

**(B)** the date, time, and location of death; and

**(C)** a brief description of the circumstances surrounding the death.

**(b)** **Exception** Notwithstanding subsection (a), a State may provide that the Governor of the State may allow for the earlier release of—

**(1)** a geriatric prisoner; or

**(2)** a prisoner whose medical condition precludes the prisoner from posing a threat to the public, but only after a public hearing in which representatives of the public and the prisoner’s victims have had an opportunity to be heard regarding a proposed release.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 103–322, title II, § 20104, as added Pub. L. 104–134, title I, § 101[(a)] [title I, § 114(a)], Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321, 1321–16; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104–140, § 1(a), May 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 1327; amended Pub. L. 106–297, § 2, Oct. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 1045.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to , The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

### Prior Provisions

A prior , title II, , , related to Federal share matching requirement prior to the general amendment of subtitle A of title II of  by .

### Amendments

2000—Subsec. (a).  redesignated par. (1) as subpar. (A) and former subpars. (A) and (B) as cls. (i) and (ii), respectively, redesignated par. (2) as subpar. (B), redesignated par. (3) as subpar. (C) and former subpars. (A) and (B) as cls. (i) and (ii), respectively, and added par. (2).