Indeterminate Sentence Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Indeterminate Sentence.

Indeterminate Sentence (noun):

An indeterminate sentence is a court-imposed punishment where the convicted individual is not given a specific release date. Instead, a range of time, for example, "10 to 15 years," is given, suggesting that the convict can serve any length of time within this range. The actual time served can be adjusted according to the offender's behavior, rehabilitation efforts, or other factors reviewed by parole officials during the course of the sentence.