Article 25 of the Prison and Detention System, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/31) dated 21/06/1398H, allows for conditional release of a prisoner who has served three-quarters of the sentence, provided that the actual time served is no less than nine months. This requires that the prisoner's behavior during the sentence demonstrates trust in the possibility of rehabilitation, unless public order considerations prevent the release, and provided that all obligations related to the committed crime are fulfilled.
The conditional release decision is issued by the Minister of Interior, based on reports from the competent authorities, primarily the General Directorate of Prisons. The decision specifies conditions related to residence, work, and behavior, and it may be revoked if those conditions are violated, with the prisoner returned to complete the remaining sentence.
For sentences of one year, conditional release may be considered after nine months, provided all legal conditions are met. However, the sentence duration remains set at 12 months, and conditional release is considered a mechanism for organizing execution, not a reduction of the punishment.
Conditional release does not apply to all types of cases, as some crimes are excluded based on their classification or nature, especially those related to public order or classified as major crimes.
Conditional release is a discretionary authority exercised by the competent body and is not a fixed right for the prisoner. It is subject to a comprehensive evaluation of the prisoner's overall situation, behavior, and the purpose of the punishment.
In this context, it should be clearly noted that the current perception linking a one-year prison sentence to an actual execution of only nine months is inaccurate. It is not based on a legal rule but relates to special cases conditioned on the issuance of a conditional release decision, according to specific rules and criteria, and does not automatically apply to all prisoners.