# The Sentencing Act 2020 (Prison Sanctions) Regulations 2026, Regulation 2: Prison sanctions for contempt


(1) The sanctions specified for the purposes of section 41B of the Sentencing Act 2020 are—
(a) forfeiture of any of the privileges—
(i) under rule 6 of the Young Offender Institution Rules 2000 for a period not exceeding 21 days where the offender is aged 18, 19 or 20 and is to be taken to a young offender institution for detention immediately after the prison sanctions order is made;
(ii) under rule 8 of the Prison Rules 1999 for a period not exceeding 84 days in any other case;
(b) cellular confinement—
(i) for a period not exceeding 10 days where the offender is aged 18, 19 or 20 and is to be taken to a young offender institution for detention immediately after the prison sanctions order is made;
(ii) for a period not exceeding 21 days in any other case;
(c) forfeiture of social visits for a period not exceeding 27 days;
(d) restriction of social visits to once in every period of 28 days for a period not exceeding 84 days.
(2) Where a court makes a prison sanctions order imposing a sanction of cellular confinement, the governor of the prison or young offender institution in which the offender is detained must not implement the sanction unless a registered medical practitioner or registered nurse working within the prison or young offender institution has assessed the offender as being medically suitable.
(3) A sanction specified in paragraph (1)(c) or (d)—
(a) must not be imposed on an offender aged 18, 19 or 20 who is to be taken to a young offender institution for detention immediately after the prison sanctions order is made;
(b) does not apply to social visits from a child of the offender and any adult who is appropriately accompanying that child.
(4) In this regulation—
“child of the offender” means a person under the age of 18 in respect of whom the offender—
(a) is a parent, or
(b) has parental responsibility within the meaning of section 3 of the Children Act 1989;
“social visit” means an in-person visit to an offender, but does not include visits from a person acting in a professional or official capacity.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2026/9780348288056/regulation/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/draft-sentencing-act-2020-prison-sanctions-regulations-2026/regulation-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.