Home Detention Curfew, usually just called HDC, used to let some prisoners serve the final part of their sentence in the community under an electronically monitored curfew, rather than behind a cell door. For years it was one of the things families asked us about most once a release date started to feel close.
That's no longer the position for most adult prisoners. Following the Sentencing Act 2026, HDC stopped being routinely available to adults from 2 September 2026, ahead of the new Progression Model replacing it. It remains available for some youth sentences, and a small number of adults whose HDC referral was already underway before 25 June 2026, with an eligibility date before 2 September, were unaffected. For everyone else, it isn't part of how a standard determinate sentence works anymore.
What replaced it
Early release now runs through the Progression Model instead: a sentence structured into a period in custody, a phase of intensive community supervision, and a further period on licence, rather than a single HDC-style release point partway through. The Progression Model commences from 1 October 2026, phased in by sentence length through to June 2027. We've set out how that structure works, including the one-third release point most sentences will now work to, in more detail in our guide to the Progression Model.
Why you might still see HDC mentioned
Older paperwork, an earlier sentence plan, or advice given before September 2026 may still refer to HDC. If that's what a prisoner or their family have been told, it's worth having it checked, because it may no longer reflect the current framework.
What to do if a release date or sentence plan mentions HDC
Get in touch with the sentence details and whatever you've been told so far, and we'll check it against the current position and tell you plainly what actually applies.
This article is general information about prison law and how the system works, not legal advice on your individual circumstances. Every case is different, so if you'd like advice on a specific situation, get in touch and we'll tell you plainly whether we can help.