50 Years of The Parole Board

The Parole Board celebrates its’ 50th birthday, having been created by the Criminal Justice Act 1967. The initial purpose of the Board was to advise ministers on the release of life sentenced prisons.  Over time, the Board has developed to be a court-like body which orders the release of prisoners.

Between 2016- 2017, there were more than 7000 oral hearings before the Parole Board and 16866 cases were dealt with by way of a “Paper Hearing”.

There are 45 Judicial Members of the Parole Board, 34 psychologist members, 17 psychiatrist members, and 149 independent members (These are from Probation, legal and other backgrounds).

The Parole Board has to consider whether or not to direct release for indeterminate sentence prisoners, which include Lifers and IPP prisoners (Indeterminate sentences for Public Protection). They make such decisions after the initial tariff period has been served.

The Board also considers cases for some categories of determinate sentence prisoners and prisoners who have been recalled to prison and can be re-released on licence.  They also advise the Secretary of State on whether indeterminate prisoners can be moved from closed to open conditions.

Nick Harwick, Chair of the Parole Board, told the Butler Trust on the 6th November:   “Our decisions are now solely based on risk.  The test we apply before a prisoner can be released, arising from the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offender Act 2012, is: 

When considering the release of prisoners who come before it, the Board is required to determine whether it is satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that the prisoner should remain detained”

There has been a shift in our experience from looking at the “tick box” on a Prisoner’s Sentence Plan, to focusing more specifically on risk factors and any immediate threat to the public.

Another important change is the release rate for IPP release has risen significantly, and the Chair states that the Parole Board continues to work to safely progress those IPP prisoners with the most complex supervision and support needs. Nick Hardwick has been particularly vocal that further progress requires “policy and political decisions”, and we welcome and encourage the same.

At Eden Legal Services, we specialise in IPP and Lifer Parole Reviews, and we know how difficult it can be for IPPs in particular, languishing in prison without any idea as to when they will go home. We work tirelessly to ensure that such prisoners progress wherever they can, and we also explore the possibility of appealing these awful sentences wherever we can.

If you need advice on Prison Law, or if you have a loved one facing a Parole Review, please do not hesitate to contact Stephanie Brownlees on 01902 275 042 or email info@edenlegalservices.co.uk