Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§3585 Calculation of a Term of Imprisonment
Title 18 › Part II— CRIMINAL PROCEDURE › Chapter 227— SENTENCES › Subchapter D— IMPRISONMENT › § 3585
Summary
A prison sentence starts on the day a person arrives at the facility to serve it, whether they were brought there in custody or went there voluntarily. They get credit for any time spent in jail or detention before that start date if it was (1) for the offense that led to the sentence or (2) for another charge for which they were arrested after that offense.
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 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60