What is Sentencing?
Simple information about court and sentences.
This is an Easy Read version. View the full Sentencing Guide →
What happens in court?
When someone breaks the law, they may go to court.
A judge decides what happens next.
If the person is found guilty, the judge gives them a sentence.
What is a sentence?
A sentence is the punishment for breaking the law.
There are different types of sentences:
- Prison - staying in prison for a set time
- Community order - doing work in the community
- Suspended sentence - you only go to prison if you break the rules
- Fine - paying money as punishment
How long do people stay in prison?
Most people do not stay for the whole sentence.
Right now, many people leave prison after 40 out of every 100 days of their sentence.
Some people stay longer. It depends on the crime.
Example:
A 6-year sentence might mean about 2 years and 5 months in prison.
After release, there are rules to follow called licence conditions.
A new law is changing this
A new law called the Sentencing Act 2026 means some people will leave prison sooner.
This starts on 1 October 2026.
People already in prison will not all change on the same day. People with shorter sentences change first.
This does not happen for everyone.
Some crimes are on a list. If someone is in prison for a crime on that list, they will not leave sooner. For them, nothing changes. They do not stay longer either.
The list includes rape, serious sexual crimes against children, killing someone, being very cruel to a child, and causing someone's death by bad driving or cycling.
This does not make their sentence longer. It stays the same.
Important
Every case is different.
This is simple information only.
Talk to a solicitor for advice about your case.