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The range of prison sentences a court can give - including suspended, fixed-term, indeterminate and life sentences.
If you’re sent to prison for 2 or more crimes, you’ll usually get a…
A suspended prison sentence is served in the community instead of in…
A determinate prison sentence is for a fixed length of time. It includes a…
An indeterminate prison sentence does not have a fixed length of time.…
If you’re found guilty of murder, a court must give you a life sentence. A…
If you’re under 18 you’ll be treated differently to adults by a court. You…
If you are found guilty of a crime, your sentence will depend on a number of factors, including the type, seriousness and circumstances of the crime.
How to complain to the Attorney General's Office if you think someone's sentence is too low - and what happens if the Court of Appeal get involved
Detailed statistics on offenders released under Standard Determinate Sentence 40 (SDS40).
A man who raped and sexually abused a teenage girl had his sentence extended after the Solicitor General intervened.
A table of rehabilitation periods for the most common sentences and disposals, and example scenarios.
When to tell a potential employer, university, college or insurance company about a criminal record, when it becomes 'spent' and what shows up on a DBS check.
What happens if you're given a community sentence or community service. Find out about Community Payback and the rules of your community sentence.
Guidance for calculating the release dates of determinate sentences imposed by the courts.
Information relating to the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-Sentence Reports) Bill which was introduced to the House of Commons on 1 April 2025.
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