(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an inmate earns longevity pay raises after 18 months spent in FPI work status regardless of whether or not the work was continuous. The service may have occurred in one or more FPI factories or shops. An inmate qualifies for longevity pay raises as provided in the table below:

Longevity pay allowances shall be added after the wages for each actual hour in pay status have been properly computed.

(b) Exceptions.

(1) FPI work status during service of a previous sentence with a subsequent break in custody may not be considered in determining longevity pay.

(2) An inmate in segregation or who is given a disciplinary transfer loses any longevity status previously achieved.

(3) An inmate who voluntarily transfers to a non-FPI work assignment loses any longevity status previously achieved. An inmate who leaves FPI to enter education, vocational training, or drug abuse treatment programs, however, generally retains longevity and pay grade status upon return to FPI, unless the inmate withdraws from those programs without a good faith effort to complete them. The decision on whether there was a good faith effort is to be made by the SOI in concert with the staff member in charge of the program.