The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 reduced the qualifying period for referring an offender serving an IPP sentence to the Parole Board to consider licence termination from 10 years after first release to three years, and to two years for an offender serving a DPP sentence. It also introduced a provision for automatic licence termination where the Parole Board has not terminated the licence at the end of the qualifying period and the individual then spends a further two years on licence in the community without their licence being revoked.
	The measures in this Act reduce the qualifying period for an offender serving an IPP sentence from three years to two years. This provides an earlier opportunity for licence termination and align the IPP sentence with the DPP sentence. If an IPP or DPP licence is not terminated at this point, an offender serving either sentence will be able to apply for an additional licence review one year after the end of the qualifying period, provided the licence has remained in force during that time. This provides offenders with an optional, additional review before the end of the two-year automatic period.
Policy background Part 2: Management of offenders after sentencing Sentences of imprisonment or detention for public protection Imprisonment or detention for public protection: termination of licences