Conditional release

Otherwise, you may be conditionally released when you have served two-thirds of your sentence. If you committed the offence under the age of 21 years, the corresponding time is half of your sentence.

Conditional release is only possible after you have served at least 14 days of your sentence. If you are ordered to serve your entire sentence, you may be conditionally released on certain conditions after you have served five-sixths but at least three years of your sentence. The decision on the release is made by the Helsinki Court of Appeal.

If you are imposed a conversion sentence for unpaid fine, you must serve your entire sentence. The combined duration of several conversion sentences for unpaid fines served at the same time may be at most 90 days. The combined duration of several prison sentences served at the same time may be at most 20 years.

Conditional release from life imprisonment

If you are sentenced to life imprisonment, you may also be conditionally released. Conditional release means the release of a prisoner sentenced to unconditional imprisonment so that he or she can serve the rest of the sentence in freedom.

Almost without an exception only a specific proportion of a prison sentence is served in prison after which you are conditionally released. Conditional release is possible when you have served at least 12 years in prison. If you were under the age of 21 when you committed the offence, the corresponding time is 10 years. The decision on the release is made by the Helsinki Court of Appeal. Life sentence prisoners may also be released by the pardon of the President of the Republic.

Probationary period and supervision of conditionally released prisoners

If you are conditionally released, you are imposed a probationary period, which may last at most three years. The probationary period of conditionally released life sentence prisoners is always three years. The Prison and Probation Service is responsible for the organisation and implementation of the supervision.

• ­ your probationary period is longer than one year
• ­ you had committed the offence when under the age of 21 years
• ­ you request it yourself.

A conditionally released prisoner is usually placed under supervision if the probationary period is longer than one year and six months. The purpose of the supervision is to prevent you from committing new offences and support you to cope in society. You may forfeit your conditional release if you breach the conditions or commit a new offence during the probationary period.

If you commit a new offence during the probationary period of your conditional release, the court will decide whether the remaining sentence is enforced in full or in part. If you grossly violate the obligations, the court may order 4 to 14 days of your remaining sentence to be enforced.