The penal system in Turkey determines how the sentences given by the courts will be implemented. However, the exact length of the prison sentence varies depending on various factors and legal regulations. In this article, we will focus on how long a person sentenced to 18 years will stay in prison and the important legal regulations taken into account in this process.
1. Beginning of the Sentence and Execution of the Sentence
The beginning of the prison sentence begins after the guilty person is arrested by court order and sent to prison. At this point, the 18-year prison sentence given by the court is considered the starting period of the sentence. However, once the person is in prison, whether the full sentence will be served or not varies depending on the time spent in the penal institution and various other legal regulations.
2. Serious Crimes Court and Sentence Length
An 18-year prison sentence is usually given for serious crimes. For example, crimes such as murder, organized crime, and drug trafficking can lead to sentences as long as 18 years. However, in the execution of these sentences, there are various reductions, postponements and conditional release practices according to the penal codes in Turkey.
3. Penal Execution Law and Good Conduct Discounts
According to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and the Penal Execution Law, prisoners can receive a reduction from a certain part of their sentences if they show “good conduct” in prison. This varies according to the prisoners’ attitudes, and a person sentenced to 18 years in prison may have their sentence reduced by a certain amount if they meet the conditions of good conduct.
Good Conduct Discount:
If prisoners behave in a disciplined manner in prison, work regularly, attend courses and generally display a good attitude, they can receive a good conduct discount of 1/5 per year.
In this case, an 18-year prison sentence can be reduced by 3 years. In other words, there may be a possibility of spending 15 years in prison.
4. Conditional Release and Early Release from Prison
There are certain conditions for early release from penal institutions in Turkey. Conditional release is when a prisoner starts a supervised release process determined by the state after serving a certain portion of their sentence. However, conditional release varies according to the person’s criminal history, the length of their sentence, and their behavior in prison.
In order to be conditionally released, the prisoner usually needs to serve two-thirds of their sentence. If a person sentenced to 18 years in prison also receives a reduction for good behavior, they can spend 2/3 of the 18 years, or approximately 12 years, in prison. With the reductions obtained from the good behavior reduction, the 2/3 of the 18 years can be slightly shorter.
5. Postponement and Delay of Execution
Sometimes, a prisoner’s sentence can be postponed under certain conditions. This postponement can be related to health problems or old age in particular. Postponement of the execution of the sentence can be provided with a medical report before the prisoner starts serving his sentence. However, this does not completely cancel the person’s sentence, it only grants a postponement period.
6. As a result: How many years does a person sentenced to 18 years serve?
The time a person sentenced to 18 years will spend in prison may vary depending on the following factors:
Good Conduct Reduction: If the prisoner demonstrates a disciplined and harmonious attitude in prison, a reduction of approximately 1/5 of their sentence can be made. In this case, the 18-year sentence can be reduced to 15 years.
Parole: The prisoner can be paroled after serving two-thirds of their sentence. In this case, the person’s sentence can be approximately 12 years.
Postponement: If there are special circumstances such as health or age, the execution of the sentence can be postponed.
In general, a person sentenced to 18 years in prison can spend a minimum of 12 years and a maximum of 18 years. This period varies depending on the person’s attitude and how the legal conditions are evaluated.
The time spent in prison depends not only on the court’s decision and the length of the sentence, but also on the prisoner’s behaviour in prison and legal requirements. A person sentenced to 18 years may have his time reduced through good behaviour, parole or other arrangements, but exactly how long he or she will serve depends on many factors.
