indeterminate sentence

American  

noun

Criminal Law.

1. a penalty, imposed by a court, that has relatively wide limits or no limits, as one of imprisonment for one to ten years.

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indeterminate sentence British  

noun

1. law a prison sentence the length of which depends on the prisoner's conduct

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Etymology

Origin of indeterminate sentence

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

The failure to create those records will likely have a negative impact on early release requests because the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, which oversees prison releases, might presume the transfer was due to the individual being categorized as “dangerous,” according to the suit.

From Seattle Times

He was convicted and given an indeterminate sentence of one year to life and spent the next decade at California’s Soledad and San Quentin prisons, much of it in solitary confinement.

From Seattle Times

He was given an “indeterminate” sentence that specified he could only be released when he was judged not to be a danger to the public.

From Seattle Times

The Bronx District Attorney's Office said Elliot was released on parole because he pled guilty to second-degree murder, which carries an indeterminate sentence of 15 to life in this specific case.

From Fox News

He was given an indeterminate sentence for public protection and served nine years.

From BBC