SentenceWise — Prison Guide

SentenceWise is a private, offline guide to the criminal-justice system in England and Wales — from a first arrest through custody, courts, prison, probation and life after a conviction. It is built for people going through the system themselves, and for the family and friends walking alongside them: partners keeping a household running, parents explaining prison to a child, anyone getting ready for release day. WHAT IT DOES • Help me now — plain-language answers for urgent moments: someone has been arrested, a first night in custody, a missed probation appointment. • Journey map — every stage from police custody to life on licence, with what can happen next. Always possibilities, never predictions. • Rules checker — asks the questions officials would ask, explains what the published rules say, and tells you honestly when more information is needed. It never guesses. • Release readiness — a practical board for the things that make release day work: ID, money, housing, health, licence documents. • Support directory — verified national organisations and helplines, with who each one helps and how to reach them. • Policy library — the official prison and probation instructions behind every answer, searchable by topic and number. • Urgent help — safety information that works with no signal, including Samaritans (116 123). • My stuff — notes, documents and dates kept only on your device, behind an optional PIN and app lock, with quick exit and two-step erase. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Works completely offline. The app makes no network connections. • No account, no sign-up, no analytics, no tracking, no ads. • Everything you save is encrypted and stays on your device. You can erase it all at any time. WHAT THIS APP IS NOT SentenceWise provides general information about the justice system in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for a solicitor, probation officer or other professional. The app never calculates release dates and never predicts the outcome of an individual case — official documents and the professionals handling a case are always the authority. It is not medical advice. SentenceWise is not a medical device and does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition. Where the app covers health or medication it explains what the system does and who to contact — anything about your own care belongs with prison healthcare, a GP or a pharmacist. This is not an official government service and it is not affiliated with HM Prison and Probation Service or the Ministry of Justice. WHERE THE INFORMATION COMES FROM Guidance is based on the published HM Prison and Probation Service and Ministry of Justice instructions on GOV.UK. Every document in the policy library links out to its current version on GOV.UK, so you can always check the original for yourself. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The independent organisations listed in the support directory do not endorse this app.