How did bad inmate get good time?

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - He was sentenced to more than 60 years, but he only had to serve half of it. News 13 told you about Bob Davis' release two weeks ago; he's the former APD cop convicted of running a burglary ring while he was on the force and suspected of much more.
   
News 13 obtained his prison records which show what a problem he was behind bars.

Davis is following a strict set of rules since he was released on parole last May. But, the same can't be said for how he behaved in prison after he was sentenced in the early 80's for a three-state crime spree.

Disciplinary records show at least eight major issues during his time in prison.

In 1985 Davis and a group of inmates overpowered a guard using a gun and handcuffed him inside a freezer, leading to one of his two prison escapes in New Mexico.  The following year a corrections officer discovered Davis had fashioned a razor into a makeshift key to unlock his shackles.

Davis caused so many problems he was shipped off to California, where he served the rest of his time in two of the most secure prisons in the country; Pelican Bay and San Quentin.

Records show Davis was disciplined twice for beating other inmates.

It's fair to say Davis was not a model prisoner, so why was he allowed to rack up enough good time to cut his sentence in half?

The corrections department couldn't talk about specifics to Davis' case  but the records bureau chief gave us some insight on how an inmate this bad could get out early for being good.

Cathleen Catanach explained, “As an inmate receives misconduct reports they become eligible for restoration for loss of good time.”

When an inmate is disciplined, they can lose all or part of their accrued good time but Catanach said, “It's very unusual that they would lose that good time forever.”

Most of the time if an inmate behaves after serving his discipline he can earn his good time back.

Every inmate's release date has to be calculated based on the law at the time he was sentenced. But, no matter what Catanach said every sentence, "Is reviewed thoroughly whether the inmate has been in the prison system 20 years ago 30 years ago or five years ago."

Under the law in the 1980's, when Davis was convicted; he could cut his sentence in half with good time. Since then the law was changed so that inmates must serve 85-percent of their sentences for violent crimes.

The corrections department says inmates can lop off even more time if they get a GED or certification for a trade skill while behind bars.