[ad_1]
- The new rules allow victims, journalists and the public to witness parole hearings for the first time
- The manifesto provides a pledge to make the system more transparent
- Reforms to put victims at the center of our justice system and increase trust in the parole process
Convicted murderer Russell Cousley, who killed his wife Carol Packman in 1985, will be the first prisoner to have a public parole hearing since the government lifted a ban on public hearings in July this year.
Cousley was released from prison by the Parole Board in 2020 after serving 23 years for murder but was returned to prison in November 2021 by the Probation Service for breaching his license conditions.
For the first time, victims, the public and the media will attend hearings and better understand how decisions about whether to release prisoners are made.
The change is a major step in opening up the parole process, following calls for greater transparency following the later overturned decision to free black cab rapist John Worboys in 2018.
Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab MP said:
Pulling back the curtain on the parole process by allowing public hearings is a big step forward for victims who want to see justice done first hand.
It marks the first step in our reforms to reform the system – putting victims and public safety front and center in the process.
Public parole hearings form part of the government’s root and branch reforms to restore public confidence in the parole system and put victims at the center of the process. Under the previous rules, victims could ask for a personal statement to be read on their behalf but were not allowed to testify in parts of the hearing.
The government has already introduced a raft of changes since the reforms were announced in March this year. This includes tightening the rules around the move to open prisons so that all indeterminate offenders – those who have committed the most serious crimes, including murder and rape – face stricter criteria for moving from closed to open prisons.
Further reforms are also to be introduced, including tougher release tests for parole prisoners and new powers for the justice secretary to block the release of dangerous offenders.
Other steps include increasing the number of parole board members with law enforcement backgrounds who can bring their experience in keeping the public safe to parole decision-making.
[ad_2]
Source link
