Prisoner Release
If the defendant receives a prison sentence, they may not necessarily have to serve the full length of the sentence passed by the court.
An offender sentenced to prison can apply to the Parole Board for early release at a certain stage of their sentence:
If a sentence is under four years, the offender will be released after serving half their sentence. For sentences of four years or more, the offender will be eligible for parole at the half-way point. If the Parole Board do not recommend release, the offender will be automatically released after serving two-thirds of their sentence.
However, after release the offender will be on licence in the community until they are three-quarters of the way through their sentence.