1. An inmate shall not be discharged from the custody of the director of the Iowa department of corrections until the inmate has served the full term for which the inmate was sentenced, less earned time and other credits earned and not forfeited, unless the inmate is pardoned or otherwise legally released. Earned time accrued and not forfeited shall apply to reduce a mandatory minimum sentence being served pursuant to section 124.406, 124.413, 902.7, 902.8, 902.8A, or 902.11. An inmate shall be deemed to be serving the sentence from the day on which the inmate is received into the institution. If an inmate was confined to a county jail, municipal holding facility, or other correctional or mental facility at any time prior to sentencing, or after sentencing but prior to the case having been decided on appeal, because of failure to furnish bail or because of being charged with a nonbailable offense, the inmate shall be given credit for the days already served upon the term of the sentence. However, if a person commits any offense while confined in a county jail, municipal holding facility, or other correctional or mental health facility, the person shall not be granted credit for that offense. Unless the inmate was confined in a correctional facility, the sheriff of the county in which the inmate was confined or the officer in charge of the municipal holding facility in which the inmate was confined shall certify to the clerk of the district court from which the inmate was sentenced and to the department of corrections’ records administrator at the Iowa medical and classification center the number of days so served. The department of corrections’ records administrator, or the administrator’s designee, shall apply credit as ordered by the court of proper jurisdiction or as authorized by this section and section 907.3, subsection 3.

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Terms Used In Iowa Code 903A.5

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • clerk: means clerk of the court in which the action or proceeding is brought or is pending; and the words "clerk's office" mean the office of that clerk. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. An inmate shall not receive credit upon the inmate’s sentence for time spent in custody in another state resisting return to Iowa following an escape. However, an inmate may receive credit upon the inmate’s sentence while incarcerated in an institution or jail of another jurisdiction during any period of time the person is receiving credit upon a sentence of that other jurisdiction.