What prison words mean

The first phone call home is full of words nobody explains. Canteen, apps, nickings, spends, VOs. Here is what they all mean, simply.

Adjudication (a "nicking")

What happens when someone is accused of breaking prison rules. Serious cases go to a judge who can add extra days to the time inside. The maximum is being doubled to 84 days per incident under the new 2026 law.

App (application)

A written request for almost anything inside: a visit, property, a phone number, healthcare. "I put an app in" means the paperwork has started. Apps take days, sometimes weeks.

Basic / Standard / Enhanced

The behaviour levels inside (often called IEP). They decide how much money can be spent, how many visits are allowed, and extras like a TV. Everyone starts on Standard. Enhanced is earned. Basic is a punishment.

Canteen

Not a dining hall. It is the weekly shop. Prisoners order things like toiletries, snacks, vapes and phone credit from a list, paid from their account. There is one order a week with a deadline. Miss it and it is a week to wait.

Cat A, B, C, D

Security categories for men. A is maximum security. B is high. C is where most people are. D is open prison, where day release becomes possible. Women’s prisons use closed or open instead.

Chaplain (chaplaincy)

The faith team in every prison, there for all faiths and for people with none. Chaplains see new arrivals in the first days, will check on someone if family are worried, and are the usual route for passing urgent family news like a death or serious illness. Ring the prison and ask for the chaplaincy.

CRD (Conditional Release Date)

The date someone must be let out automatically. For most normal sentences that is 40% of the way through right now. It is called conditional because they come out with rules to follow.

Email a Prisoner

A paid service, about 40p a message. Your email is printed and handed to the prisoner. Some prisons allow photos and reply sheets. Much faster than post.

EDS (Extended Sentence)

A sentence for people the judge considers dangerous. It has a prison part plus extra time on licence. The Parole Board decides release, from two thirds of the prison part.

HDC (the tag)

Getting out up to 180 days early with an ankle tag and a night time curfew at an agreed address. For normal sentences of 12 weeks to under 4 years, with exceptions. Being scrapped for adults when the 2026 release changes start.

IEP

The old name for the behaviour scheme. See Basic / Standard / Enhanced. Everyone inside still says IEP.

IPP

A type of sentence with no end date, scrapped in 2012, but thousands of people are still serving it or on its licence. Release is decided by the Parole Board.

Licence

The rules someone lives under after early release. Meetings with probation, an agreed address, sometimes a tag or no-go areas. It lasts until the very end of the sentence. Breaking it can mean recall to prison.

Listener

A prisoner trained by Samaritans to support others in distress, day or night. If you are worried about someone’s safety, you can also ring the prison and ask for the Safer Custody team.

Nicking

Being put on report for breaking prison rules. See Adjudication.

OMU (Offender Management Unit)

The prison office that deals with release dates, the tag, parole papers and moving to open prison. The person inside can ask the OMU for their sentence calculation sheet.

Pad

A cell. A padmate is a cellmate.

PIN phone

The prison phone system. Prisoners can only ring numbers that have been checked and approved, which is why calls cannot happen in the first days. Calls cost money from their credit and are recorded. Many prisons now have phones in cells.

POM and COM

Their case workers. The POM is the Prison Offender Manager, inside the prison. The COM is the Community Offender Manager, their probation officer outside. The COM takes over near release.

Purposeful activity

Work, education and courses inside. It matters for behaviour levels, the tag, moving to open prison and parole. The new 2026 rules are built around engaging with it.

Recall

Being sent back to prison while on licence, for breaking the rules or a new charge. Since 31 March 2026 most people on normal sentences serve a fixed 56 days, then get out again. Serious cases wait for the Parole Board.

Remand

Being kept in prison before the case has finished, because bail was refused. Remand prisoners get more visits and can wear their own clothes. Every day on remand counts off any sentence that follows.

ROTL (day release)

Release on Temporary Licence. Letting someone out for the day, or overnight, for work, training or family time. Mostly happens from open prison or near the end of a sentence, after a risk check.

SED (Sentence End Date)

The day the whole sentence ends, including the licence part. After this date there is no recall risk. It is over.

SDS40

The 2024 change that moved release for most normal sentences from half way to 40%, to ease overcrowding. Still running in July 2026, until the new one third rule replaces it.

Spends

The weekly amount a prisoner can actually spend, capped by their behaviour level and whether they are on remand. Money you send goes into their account, but they can only spend up to their cap.

Tariff

The minimum time someone on a life or IPP sentence must serve before the Parole Board can consider letting them out.

VO (Visiting Order)

What a convicted prisoner sends out so named people can book a visit. A PVO is a bonus visit for people on Enhanced. On remand you do not need a VO. You book directly.

Wing

A housing unit inside the prison. Everyone starts on the induction wing. The VP wing is for vulnerable prisoners kept separate for their safety.

Checked: 15 July 2026 We update this page when the rules change.