Parole Board
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A Parole Board is a panel of people who decide whether a criminal should be allowed to be released from prison following him or her serving the minimum term of their sentence. Parole Boards are used in many jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the states of the United States.
A Parole Board consists of people qualified to make judgements about the suitability of a prisoner for return to free society. Members may be judges, psychiatrists or criminologists. In the United Kingdom members are also drawn from a wider circle of professions. The Board typically makes a judgement about whether a prisoner will affect public safety if released, but not does not form an opinion about whether the initial sentencing was appropriate.
Around the world
United Kingdom
There are two Parole Boards in the United Kingdom. The Parole Board of England and Wales carries out parole functions for people convicted in English and Welsh courts. A similar Board operates in Scotland.
The England and Wales Board was formed as part of the Criminal Justice Act of 1967. The functions it performs were updated in the Criminal Justice Act of 1991 and the Board became a non-departmental public body in 1996. The Parole Board (Transfer of Functions) Order of 1998 delegated authority from the Home Secretary to the Parole Board chairman to make decisions on prisoners whose sentences are under fifteen years in length. For those prisoners who make applications for parole for sentences over 15 years, the Board merely makes a recommendation to the Home Secretary who has final authority.
External links
- The Parole Board of England and Wales (http://www.paroleboard.gov.uk/)