What type of sentencing has a defined length that cannot be altered?

Determinate sentencing is characterized by a fixed period of incarceration that is specifically defined by law or the court. This type of sentencing establishes a clear beginning and an end date for a prisoner’s sentence, which cannot be changed or altered by parole boards or other authorities. It provides a level of predictability for both the offender and the sentencing framework, allowing for a straightforward understanding of the punishment.

In contrast, indeterminate sentencing can result in varying lengths of imprisonment, often allowing for parole consideration that can shorten the time served based on behavior or rehabilitation progress. Concurrent sentencing refers to the way sentences can be served at the same time when a person is convicted of multiple offenses, rather than consecutive, where they would serve one sentence after another. Mandatory sentencing involves laws that impose fixed penalties for specific crimes, often without the flexibility that a judge might typically use, but does not guarantee an unalterable length in the same way determinate sentencing does. Thus, the unique characteristic of determinate sentencing is the defined length of the sentence without the possibility of alteration, making it the correct choice.