Home Detention Curfew

Home Detention Curfew, often called HDC, allows some eligible prisoners to leave custody before their normal release date. They are released on licence and must follow a home curfew, electronic monitoring requirements and any other licence conditions.

HDC is not automatic. The prison must decide whether you are both eligible and suitable. The decision depends on your sentence, offence, risk information, proposed address and whether monitoring can be arranged safely.

This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Your HDC paperwork, release calculation and written licence are the most important documents for your case.

What is HDC?

HDC is a type of release on licence. If it is approved, you leave prison before the date you would otherwise be released, live at an approved address and comply with a curfew that is monitored electronically.

The tag and monitoring equipment help check whether you are at the approved address during your curfew. They do not replace other licence conditions or supervision.

When can HDC start?

Your HDC eligibility date is the earliest date you could be released on HDC. It does not guarantee release on that date.

Your eligibility date depends on your sentence and release arrangements. For eligible cases, HDC can begin up to 365 days before the date you would otherwise be released. You must also meet minimum time in custody rules.

The prison will calculate your individual HDC eligibility date. You may be released later if checks are incomplete, your address is not suitable, monitoring cannot be arranged, or HDC is not approved.

See HMPPS: Home Detention Curfew Policy Framework.

Who can be considered for HDC?

HDC is available only for certain eligible sentence types. Some people are excluded by law or policy. Others may be eligible but unsuitable because of the risks in their individual case.

The prison considers your sentence and release arrangements, offence and history, behaviour and risk information, proposed address, people living at that address, and whether monitoring can be installed and used safely.

Some sentence types and offences are excluded, including certain two thirds release sentences, extended or special custodial sentences for violent or sexual offending, specified terrorist sentences, registrable sexual offences and some foreign national prisoner cases.

Do not assume HDC is available or unavailable because of sentence length alone. Ask the prison for the reasons if HDC is not available in your case.

If you are presumed unsuitable for HDC

Some people are legally eligible but presumed unsuitable unless there are exceptional circumstances. This can apply to particular offences, certain risk histories, some foreign national prisoner cases and people assessed as presenting high or very high risk of serious harm.

A low risk assessment on its own may not be enough to overcome this presumption. If HDC is refused on this basis, ask for detailed reasons and use the prison complaints process if you think the decision is wrong.

Your proposed address

HDC can only be approved if there is a suitable address where monitoring can be arranged safely.

Probation should speak to the main occupier of the address, explain HDC and ask for informed consent. They may ask about other people living there, including children and adults at risk.

The address will be assessed for safeguarding, domestic abuse, victim protection and other safety concerns. A lack of a suitable address can mean HDC is refused.

The main occupier should be told that monitoring staff may visit without warning between 07:00 and 23:59. The monitoring centre may also telephone overnight if the person appears absent during curfew hours.

Curfew and electronic monitoring

You will usually have to wear an electronic tag and live at an approved address. Monitoring equipment will be installed or arranged for that address.

The curfew is normally 12 hours each day, often from 19:00 to 07:00. It can be adjusted to fit work, travel, childcare, healthcare, probation appointments or religious observance. It must be at least nine hours and should not normally exceed 16 hours in a day.

You may also have location monitoring where it is needed to manage a risk, such as keeping away from a victim, associate or particular area.

Do not remove, damage or interfere with a tag or monitoring equipment. Follow the curfew and every other condition in your written licence.

Changing your address or curfew

Do not move address or change your curfew arrangements without written approval. Your existing address and curfew remain binding until a formal variation is approved and you are told about it.

Contact your probation practitioner as early as possible if your accommodation breaks down, your work changes, you have a healthcare appointment, or you need a different curfew arrangement. A new address requires fresh safety checks and main occupier consent.

If you need to be away during curfew hours

Do not assume that an emergency, family event, medical appointment, job interview or work shift changes your curfew. Ask for permission as soon as possible and keep evidence.

Some one off absences can be authorised, but the conditions and process are strict. Follow the written instructions you are given.

If you do not follow HDC conditions

The monitoring provider reports possible curfew breaches. Probation monitors other conditions. Depending on what happened, the response may be a warning, no further action or recall to prison.

If you lose your approved address or cannot be monitored, contact probation immediately. If there is no safe alternative address, recall for inability to monitor may follow.

If you are recalled for an electronic monitoring breach, there is a specific appeal route. Get legal advice quickly.

Victims and safeguarding

HDC decisions must consider victims, children, adults at risk, domestic abuse, coercive control and safeguarding concerns.

In eligible Victim Contact Scheme cases, a victim may be given an opportunity to make representations about conditions that affect them. Conditions may include exclusion zones or no contact requirements.

If HDC is refused, postponed or cancelled

You should be told the decision and the reasons. Ask what information was considered and whether you can provide another address or other relevant information.

Use the prison complaints process if you think the HDC decision or process is wrong. If you are refused a change to your HDC address or curfew, ask for the reasons and the applicable appeal route.

A prison complaint is different from challenging a sentence calculation, a recall decision or a legal error. Get specialist advice quickly where a deadline applies.

See GOV.UK: Prisoner Complaints Policy Framework.

Rules may change

The Sentencing Act 2026 is intended to phase out HDC for adult standard determinate sentences, leaving it principally for specified youth sentence cohorts. The commencement date for this change has not yet been identified in the official material used for this guide.

Check current official guidance and your individual release paperwork before relying on this page. Do not assume that adult HDC has already ended before the relevant legal change comes into force.

What happens when HDC ends?

When the HDC period ends, electronic monitoring may end. Your licence or sentence may continue after that date.

Check your release paperwork for the date your curfew ends, the date your licence ends, and any other conditions that continue to apply. Do not remove equipment unless you are told to do so.

Key points to remember

Official sources

This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Get advice from a qualified criminal or prison law solicitor about your HDC eligibility, release calculation, address, curfew, licence or recall.