- Victims in England and Wales can now observe private Parole Board hearings
- Victims in pilot phase praise level of scrutiny faced by offenders
- Part of Safer Streets mission to improve and increase confidence in the justice system
For the first time, victims from across England and Wales will be able to apply to observe private Parole Board hearings held to decide if a prisoner is safe to be released.
It will let victims see first-hand how offenders are held accountable for their crimes, their subsequent behaviour in prison and their work to prove they can live law-abiding lives if released.
A pilot in the South West of England and Greater Manchester found victims were reassured to see the level of scrutiny that prisoners are put under before any decision to release them is made.
It is hoped, therefore, that these changes will provide more victims with a greater understanding of the decisions made by the Parole Board while ensuring they feel more involved in the process.
Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, said
For too long, victims have been locked out of the parole system.
As part of our Plan for Change, we are now giving victims the right to see how offenders are challenged when up for parole.
This Government is improving our justice system to ensure it serves victims better.
Even when the Parole Board makes the decision to release an offender on licence, they are then supervised by the Probation Service and subject to strict conditions, such as curfews and exclusion zones that prevent them approaching their victims. Offenders face going back to prison if they break the rules.
The Parole Board is an independent body that carries out risk assessments on prisoners to determine whether they can be safely released into the community on licence conditions or moved to an open prison.
Victims who are part of the Victim Contact Scheme will apply to the Parole Board to attend hearings with the help of their victim liaison officer and those who are successful in applying will observe remotely so they don’t have to sit with the perpetrator.
They will then be provided with in-person support during the hearing and victims will be directed towards additional support following the proceedings, such as counselling, if necessary.
Anna, a victim who attended a parole hearing as part of the pilot, said
Observing the hearing was a surprisingly positive process for us. It has helped us to draw a line under the whole chapter and move on.
Witnessing the level of care taken by the Parole Board instilled in me genuine confidence regarding how the offender will be managed upon release.
Before the parole hearing, I had some unanswered questions. Observing the hearing helped me answer many of these.
The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said
As someone who has been through the parole process, I welcome this national rollout. This is a vital step towards lifting the lid on a system that has long felt closed off to victims, helping them feel more meaningfully involved rather than bystanders to proceedings.
As the rollout begins, it is crucial that victims are provided with all the information they need to make an informed choice about whether to apply – and to understand what to expect if their application is successful- alongside access to guidance and support at every stage of the parole hearing process. Open justice should always be encouraged, but victim welfare must remain paramount.
This latest reform to the Parole Board process follows new measures which will be implemented later this year to introduce a Ministerial check on the release of the most dangerous offenders.
This power will give Ministers better oversight of the release of the most serious offenders by allowing them to refer certain cases directly to the High Court for a second check.
Further Guidance
- Victims will not be able to observe the entire hearing, as certain evidence must be heard in private, such as that relating to risk management.
- The pilot began in September 2022 in the South-West Probation Region and was expanded to Greater Manchester in September 2023.
- The Government’s ‘Understand Your Rights’ Victims’ Code campaign raises awareness of the Victims’ Code and highlights that it is there for every victim, whatever the crime. The campaign directs users to understand their rights at Your rights as a victim of crime – Victim and Witness Information
