The Sentencing Act 2026 introduced a new Progression Model for how standard determinate sentences are structured, replacing Home Detention Curfew (HDC) as the route to early release. We've been fielding questions about it from prisoners and families since it was announced. Here's the shape of it in plain terms.
When it applies
The Progression Model commences from 1 October 2026, phased in by sentence length through to June 2027, so it won't apply to every sentence at once. HDC itself stopped being routinely available to adult prisoners from 2 September 2026, ahead of the Progression Model replacing it.
What this replaced
Before the Act, some prisoners could be released early on Home Detention Curfew, an electronically monitored curfew served in the community for the final part of a sentence. HDC is no longer routinely available to adult prisoners, and it's not part of how standard determinate sentences work under the new framework. If you've been told about HDC, whether from an older sentence plan or general advice, it's worth having that checked against the current framework. We've written separately about what happened to HDC.
The basic structure
Rather than a single fixed release point partway through a sentence, the Progression Model divides a sentence into phases: a period in custody, a phase of intensive community supervision, and a further period subject to licence conditions. For most standard determinate sentences, that custodial phase runs to the one-third point of the sentence; for more serious sexual or violent offences, it runs to the halfway point instead. The intention is a more gradual, managed transition back into the community, rather than a single cliff-edge release date.
What this means in practice
Where someone sits within that structure, and how quickly they move through it, still depends heavily on individual factors: the offence, sentence length, behaviour and progress in custody, and how sentence planning has been applied. Two people on similar sentences can end up on quite different timelines.
Fixed Term Recall provisions
The Act also affects how Fixed Term Recall operates for those who breach licence conditions after release. The detail here matters a lot for anyone facing, or worried about, recall, since the consequences and routes back depend on the specific circumstances of the breach.
Why this is worth checking properly
Because the framework is still new, sentence plans and release calculations don't always get updated to reflect it correctly straight away. If a release date, sentence plan, or licence condition doesn't look right against this new structure, it's worth having it checked. Send us the sentence details and what's been communicated so far, and we'll tell you honestly whether it's been applied correctly.
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.