Inside Out Justice rolls out free Sentencing Calculator as the Sentencing Act 2026 reshapes release dates

Inside Out Justice, the UK non-profit set up by Scott Dylan to campaign for prison reform, has today released its Sentencing Calculator: a free online tool that lets prisoners and their families work out the earliest automatic release date available under the Sentencing Act 2026.

The Act, which became law on 22 January 2026 on the back of the Independent Sentencing Review, delivers the most sweeping changes to sentencing and release seen in more than ten years. Its earned progression model means most people on standard determinate sentences will be freed automatically once they have served a third of their term, while many on longer sentences for specified offences shift from release at the two-thirds mark to the halfway mark - although sentences of seven years or more for the most serious offences stay at two-thirds. Bad behaviour behind bars can delay release through additional days.

The changes are landing in phases. From 22 March 2026, courts have in most cases had to suspend custodial sentences of 12 months or less, and reforms to fixed term recall took effect on 31 March. The new release points begin on 2 September 2026 and will extend to people already in custody in monthly waves based on sentence length, finishing on 8 June 2027. The upshot is a system that even specialists are straining to track - and one that relatives at home can find next to impossible to follow.

"The number read out in court is one thing, but the date a family actually cares about - the day their loved one walks through the door - is hidden inside transitional rules, commencement orders and exceptions," said Scott Dylan, founder of Inside Out Justice.

"The Sentencing Act 2026 has reshaped release dates for thousands of people, yet most of those affected have no straightforward way to learn what it means for them. The calculator boils dense legislation down to a plain-English answer in under a minute."

The Sentencing Calculator is the first in a planned set of free tools on the Inside Out Justice website designed to spell out what the Act means day to day. People enter a few basic sentence details and get back an estimate of the earliest automatic release date under the new rules, together with clear notes on the provisions that apply to their situation.

The charity has also published an API, so that other bodies - prison charities, advice services, solicitors and probation support providers - can fold the same calculations into their own websites and casework systems.

"No one organisation can reach every family touched by these changes," Dylan said. "By opening the API at no charge, any charity helpline can give the same answers through its own services for free. The law belongs to everyone; so should understanding it."

The calculator offers estimates only and is no replacement for legal advice. A number of the Act's provisions are still waiting on commencement dates, and Inside Out Justice will keep the tools current as the Ministry of Justice confirms further detail.

The Sentencing Calculator is live now at https://insideoutjustice.com/sentencing-calculator.

Inside Out Justice
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contact@insideoutjustice.com

Inside Out Justice is a UK-based non-profit founded by Scott Dylan, dedicated to advocating for prison reform, rehabilitation and pathways to redemption - transforming lives from the inside out. More at https://insideoutjustice.com.

This release was published on openPR.