A friend of mine has been sentenced for 12 months prison because of domestic violence case ABH. I want to know if he need to do the whole sentence or he may be released earlier than that?
An offender who is sentenced to 12 months imprisonment will (as long as he is of 'good behaviour' while in prison) be automatically released on licence at the half-way point in the sentence. (i.e. after 6 months). He'll be 'under supervision' (from the Probation Service) until the three-quarter point of the sentence.
Some offenders actually leave prison slightly earlier (under 'tagging' schemes) but that would depend upon whether he was assessed as being suitable for the scheme.
thanks Chris...just to clear out. 12 months = 6 months as they count day and night as 2 days, so do you mean he will be released after 3 months???? i dont understand the points thing....sorry this is all new to me
@ boxtops...ya not friend :-( Actually just want to have an idea as i said these are all new to me...i still need to explain to my 5 year old daughter pffff
You could go on halving the sentence forever by your system, Gemini21!
As I said above, someone sentenced to 12 months imprisonment is normally released after 6 months. The prisoner can apply to have 'police days' (where he had to attend a police station) deducted from his sentence. If he's due for release on a Saturday or Sunday, he'll actually be released on the Friday. Other than that (unless he gets onto a tagging scheme or he becomes terminally ill) he won't get out any earlier.
as you say Chris a person is automatically release half way through a sentence, WHY ?
if they are sentenced to 12 months they should serve 12 months, or should the person be sentenced to 24 months in order to serve 12 ? It appears to be a ludicrous system to me obliging me to ask is it because the prisons are at present filled beyond capacity ? Ron.
I agree with you whiskeryron! I find it amazing that violence is not punished harder and that people get a sentence that isn't as it is pronounced! But then I also cannot understand why so many people who use baseball bats and knives etc. to seriously harm others are not done for attempted murder! Instead they lock up little old ladies who cannot pay their council tax (just an example) ... The mind boggles!!!
Prison isn't a place you can police well. If you sentence a man to 25 years how can you really punish him for misbehavior on the inside? Put him in a cell? So its recognized as "good time" and you're punished by taking it away.