New change to some offenders' automatic release dates
Information on the change to automatic release dates for some prisoners so they leave after serving 40% of their sentence, rather than the current 50%.
Applies to England and Wales
Prisons in England and Wales are almost full. To protect the public, we need to free up capacity.
We understand you might have concerns about this, so we have taken steps to provide you with information to help you understand what this means.
Some prisoners will now serve 40% of their sentence in prison rather than 50%. The remainder of their sentence will continue to be served in the community under the supervision of probation. This change will be reviewed after 18 months.
It’s important to know that this change will not apply to sentences for:
- sex offences
- serious violent offences with a sentence of 4 years or more
- terrorist offences
- offences relating to national security
- offences connected to domestic abuse, like stalking and non-fatal strangulation
If someone is serving multiple sentences at the same time, they could be released earlier. This will depend on whether they have any sentences that are eligible for early release.
To free up enough capacity, this change will also be applied to current prisoners from September, but not all eligible offenders in prison will be released at the same time.
If you’re part of the Victim Contact Scheme or the Victim Notification Scheme, your Victim Liaison Officer will inform you of any change to the release date of the offender.
If you’re worried about what this might mean for you or have been affected by this announcement, independent, free and confidential support is available at the Victim and Witness Information website. If you are already receiving support from a victim support service, you can also contact them as they may be able to assist you.
Updates to this page
Last updated 11 September 2024 + show all updates
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Welsh translation added.
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First published.