Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§3585 Calculation of a term of imprisonment
Title 18 › Part PART II— - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE › Chapter CHAPTER 227— - SENTENCES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER D— - IMPRISONMENT › § 3585
Summary
A prison sentence starts on the day the person is taken into official custody to be moved to, or arrives at, the jail or prison where they will serve the sentence. The person must get credit toward that sentence for any time spent in official custody before the start date if that custody was because of the crime they were sentenced for or because of another charge they were arrested on after that crime.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §3585
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A sentence to a term of imprisonment commences on the date the defendant is received in custody awaiting transportation to, or arrives voluntarily to commence service of sentence at, the official detention facility at which the sentence is to be served.
(b)A defendant shall be given credit toward the service of a term of imprisonment for any time he has spent in official detention prior to the date the sentence commences—
(1)as a result of the offense for which the sentence was imposed; or
(2)as a result of any other charge for which the defendant was arrested after the commission of the offense for which the sentence was imposed;
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective Nov. 1, 1987, and applicable only to offenses committed after the taking effect of this section, see section 235(a)(1) of Pub. L. 98–473, set out as a note under section 3551 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 3585
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73