Michelle Carter: Woman who encouraged boyfriend into suicide will leave jail early

The US woman who sent text messages encouraging her suicidal boyfriend to take his own life will get out of jail at least two months early regardless of a pending parole decision, according to officials — because she is a “model” prisoner.

Since getting thrown behind bars in August 2017, Michelle Carter has been working in the jail kitchen and attending classes and programs; each month she does so, she earns another 10 days off her 15-month sentence, officials said according to the New York Post.

Carter is currently on track to be sprung in mid-March, rather than her originally set release in mid-May.
 

“She has been attending programs and classes inside the jail, and she’s has a job inside the jail,” said Jonathan Darling, a spokesman for the Bristol County House of Detention, where Carter is one of about 100 female inmates.

“She’s earned almost two months good time off,” Mr Darling said. “Her original date was in May, and now I believe as of this morning she has earned enough that she could get out in the middle of March.”

Meanwhile, parole officials told the New York Post that they will make a decision either tomorrow or early next week on a parole bid, made on Thursday, that could get her out even sooner.

Carter, who’s astonishing story was profiled in the HBO documentary I Love You, Now Die, which is streaming on Foxtel, has received break after break in sentencing.

After she was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a 2017 bench trial, she faced a maximum sentence of 20 years.
 

Prosecutors asked a judge to sentence her to seven to 12 years.

Instead, the judge sentenced her to two and a half years prison, or 30 months.

But those 30 months reduced down to as little as 15 months due to her juvenile status.

Carter was only 17 when she urged her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III, 18, to “get back in” his truck before he took his own life in a Kmart parking lot on July 12, 2014.

“You can’t think about it. You just have to do it. You said you were gonna do it. Like I don’t get why you aren’t,” Carter texted that day.

In previous texts, Carter had taunted Roy — who was depressed and who had attempted suicide before — about ending his life.

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au. In an emergency, call triple-0

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission