This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Parole Board annual report
23/06/2006
The 2005 Parole Board Annual Report, published today, show that 363 prisoners were recommended for parole during the year compared to 311 in 2004.
Key findings include:
- 813 cases were considered by the Board in 2005, up from 703 in 2004
- The number of prisoners being released on parole has increased to 363 in 2005, compared to 311 in 2004
- The number of life prisoners released on licence for the first time was 22 compared to 28 in 2004
- Fewer prisoners opted out of consideration than last year with 49 in this category in 2005 compared to 67 in 2004
Board Chairman Professor Sandy Cameron said:
"I would first like to express my pleasure at having been appointed as Chairman of the Board. I consider it an honour to have been given the opportunity to lead this important work. I also want to pay tribute to my predecessor Professor James McManus under whose chairmanship the work reported on here took place.
"In my predecessor's last report he drew attention to the high number of prisoners recalled to custody. That continues to be a concern this year. It is a matter which, along with other Members of the Board, I wish to consider in more detail.
"It is also worthy of note that there was a 14 per cent increase in those granted parole but this was in the context of a 15 per cent increase in the number of cases considered by the Board. This provides some context for what could be seen as an increase, but is in fact a small, proportionate decrease.
"The year ahead will see significant changes in the criminal justice system which will impact on the work of the Board. Not least amongst these will be the implementation of changes arising from the recommendations of the Sentencing Commission. Establishing effective working relationships with the new Community Justice Authorities will be a priority for me. Similarly the Risk Management Authority is a body with which the Board will have a significant working relationship and I look forward to developing that.
"The volume of business which the Board deals with continues to expand, as is demonstrated in this Report. The Board must therefore ensure that it is using all modern methods to enable it to continue to meet its targets and to ensure the effectiveness of its decision making in ensuring public safety."
The Parole Board takes decisions on the release of life prisoners and on the timing of the release on parole of determinate sentence prisoners serving sentences of 4 years or more.
Prisoners sentenced to four years imprisonment or more on or after October 1, 1993, are automatically released on licence when they have served two-thirds of the sentence.