Last updated: 16 January 2026
Tariff
The minimum period a prisoner serving a life or indeterminate sentence must serve before being considered for release by the Parole Board.
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IPP (Indeterminate Public Protection)
A type of indeterminate sentence introduced in 2005 and abolished in 2012. Many IPP prisoners remain in custody past their tariff date due to difficulties proving they are safe to release.
Parole
The supervised release of a prisoner before the end of their sentence, subject to conditions. Breach of parole conditions can result in recall to prison.