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Section 255C: Prisoners not suitable for automatic release

Criminal Justice Act 2003 · 2003 c. 44View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 12: Sentencing — Chapter 6: Release, licences, supervision and recall

This section applies to a prisoner ("P") —

whose suitability for automatic release does not have to be considered under section 255A(2), or
who is not considered suitable for automatic release.

The Secretary of State may, at any time after P is returned to prison, release P again on licence under this Chapter.

The Secretary of State must not release P under subsection (2) unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that it is not necessary for the protection of the public that P should remain in prison.

The Secretary of State must refer P's case to the Board—

if P makes representations under section 254(2) before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which P returns to custody, on the making of those representations, or
if, at the end of that period, P has not been released under subsection (2) and has not made such representations, at that time.

The Board must not give a direction for P's release on a reference under subsection (4) unless the Board is satisfied that it is not necessary for the protection of the public that P should remain in prison.

Where on a reference under subsection (4) the Board directs P's ... release on licence under this Chapter, the Secretary of State must give effect to the direction.

Subsection (7) applies if P is recalled before the date on which P would (but for the earlier release) have served the requisite custodial period for the purposes of section 243A or (as the case may be) section 244.

Where this subsection applies—

if P is released under this section before that date, P's licence must include a curfew condition complying with section 253, and
P is not to be so released (despite subsection (5)) unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that arrangements are in place to enable that condition to be complied with.

For the purposes of this section, P returns to custody when P, having been recalled, is detained (whether or not in prison) in pursuance of the sentence.

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This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.