Yesterday (30 March), I set out our Root and Branch Review of the Parole System.
This Review will play a crucial role in protecting the public and improving victims’ experience of the justice system. Read more on the reforms proposed below:
- Changing the ‘release test’ that the Parole Board uses to assess whether a prisoner can be released, putting greater emphasis on the board being satisfied that the public would not be put at risk.
- Introducing a more precautionary approach for ‘top tier’ offenders – those serving sentences for murder, rape, terrorism, or causing or allowing the death of a child.
- Increasing the focus on victims. We are proposing to allow victims to make written submissions to the board and ask questions and ensure that victims receive better information during this process. This builds on previously announced plans to allow the board to hold public hearings and to allow victims to attend.
- Providing direct ministerial oversight of transfers to open prisons for the most serious offenders, sentenced to life or other indeterminate sentences, and raising the threshold for when transfers to open conditions can happen.
- Increasing the number of parole board members from a law enforcement background.
Read more about this announcement here.