Serving your sentence

If you are an adult convicted of committing a crime in B.C., you may be required to serve your sentence in the community, in custody or a combination of both.

Community sentence

If you are required to serve all or part of your sentence in the community, you may be supervised by a probation officer and required to obey certain conditions set by the judge. 

Visit Serving a Community Sentence (Adult Offenders) to learn more.

Custody sentence

If you are required to serve your sentence in custody, you will serve it in a provincial correctional centre or a federal correctional centre. Where you serve your sentence will depend on the length of time the judge has ordered you spend in custody. If your sentence is:

• Less than two years, you will serve it in a provincial correctional centre. If ordered by the court, your sentence may be followed by a period of probation, supervised by a probation officer
• Two years or more, you will serve your sentence in a federal correctional centre. You will be eligible for statutory release after completing two-thirds of your sentence

You may also be eligible for parole.

See Serving a Custody Sentence (Adult Offenders) to learn more.

More information

See Serving a Youth Sentences (Youth Offenders) for learn more about serving a youth sentence.