When can they get parole?
Life sentences, IPP and extended sentences have no automatic release date. The Parole Board decides. Here is the timeline in plain words, and a tool to map the key dates.
These rules cover England and Wales. In Scotland or Northern Ireland? Start here.
The road to a parole release, step by step
- The tariff runs down. The minimum term must pass before release is possible. Time on remand usually counts towards it.
- About 6 months before the tariff ends, the review starts: reports are ordered from the prison, probation and psychology.
- The papers go to the Parole Board. Some cases are decided on the papers. Others go to an oral hearing, which adds months.
- The decision: release on licence, a move to open conditions, or a knock-back with a date for the next review, usually within 2 years.
- After release: life and IPP licences carry conditions and recall risk, but IPP licences now end after a set period in the community, and life licence conditions can be relaxed over time.
The pattern that actually gets people out: settled behaviour, completed courses, a spell in open conditions with successful day releases, and a solid release plan with an address. Families help most with the last part. The Parole Board publishes its own guidance on how reviews work.
Common questions
When can a lifer first get parole?
After the tariff, the minimum term the judge set. The parole process starts about 6 months before the tariff ends, so the first hearing can happen around the tariff date. In practice, first-time release at the very first hearing is the exception rather than the rule, and the process itself often runs months behind.
How long does a parole review take?
From the papers first being put together to a decision is routinely 6 to 12 months, and longer when an oral hearing is needed. Delays are normal and rarely mean anything about the outcome. The waiting is the hardest part for families, and it is not personal.
What happens at a parole hearing?
A panel reads reports from the prison, probation and psychology, and usually hears from the prisoner. Many cases are first decided on the papers, with an oral hearing if the papers alone cannot decide it. The test is always risk: can this person be managed safely in the community.
What is a knock-back and what happens after one?
A refusal. The Parole Board sets when the next review will be, usually within 2 years. The decision letter lists what they want to see next time, and that letter is effectively a to-do list: courses, behaviour, release plans. Working through it is the fastest route to a different answer next time.
Do IPP licences ever end?
Yes, and the rules have improved. IPP licences now end automatically after a set period in the community without recall, and further changes have been made by the Sentencing Act 2026. If they are out on an IPP licence, ask probation exactly when the licence is due to end. It is no longer a life-long tail for most people.