text: My husband has been in federal prison for 26 years.   \n\nRespecting the staff and behaving as if you have been reformed doesn't matter regarding earning good time.   You earn good time by specific acts, not by sucking up the staff or trying to BS anyone by pretending you finally found Jesus.    If it were that simple, everyone would walk out after a year.   \n\nMy husband files administrative remedies constantly against the staff for THEIR misconduct and lack of training and other violations, but has still earned good time.   So schmoozing the staff doesn't have anything to do with good time.\n\nThey earn good time by staying out of documented trouble, which results in time spent in SHU (the hole).   They can also participate in the (remaining) programs offered.\n\nA lot of the snitches also find out they can get good time for ratting out their cellie or another inmate.    They don't care if that guy gets another ten years for having a cigarette as long as they get five more minutes of good time.    Snitches are very common at low facilities, as most plea-bargained in the first place when they were convicted.    I wouldn't recommend that as a means of earning good time, tho, as there's often retaliation.   Even snitches don't like snitches.\n\nIf an inmate can stay out of documentable trouble, he can accrue good time, which DOES make a difference at the end.\n\nGood luck.