Following a ruling by the Supreme Court in October last year, the Parole Board has said that it will need to hear around 11,500 more parole Board applications every year to comply with the court’s call for “more fairness and equality” for prisoners.
BBC News reports that, despite increasing the number of oral hearings for applications from inmates for early release, many who apply for parole stand “no chance” of being released early.
The cost of Parole Board hearings is also expected to rise as a result of the Supreme Court ruling – hearings are expected to triple from the current figure of 4,500 to around 16,000 at an additional cost of £10 million. The government has said that it will make funding available to cover the cost of the sharp rise in Parole Board applications.
Many prisoners who apply for parole may be serving minimum-term life sentences or long sentences for serious crimes, including violent crime.
The chief executive of the Parole Board, Clare Bassett, said that the Supreme Court’s judgment “made it clear” that in the interest of fairness, a wider section of prisoners should being granted an oral hearing for their application for parole.
Ms Bassett said:
"Prior to the Supreme Court decision, the domestic courts had agreed... that a relevant factor in deciding whether or not to hold an oral hearing was whether such a hearing would be likely to make a significant difference to the final outcome.
“This is no longer the case."
Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers
Duncan Lewis crime lawyers regularly visit prisons to advise on prisoners’ rights, including offering legal advice on Parole Board applications, as well as appeals against conviction and sentencing appeals.
Duncan Lewis crime lawyers can also advise prisoners on issues such as access to healthcare and mental health services in jail – as well as compensation claims for physical injuries as a result of negligence or unprovoked physical assault or sexual assault in jail.
Duncan Lewis is also a leading provider of Legal Aid services.
For expert legal advice on prisoners’ rights in jail, contact Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers on 020 7923 4020.