- new rules allow victims, journalists and public to witness
parole hearings for the first time
- delivers on manifesto pledge to make system more transparent
- reforms to put victims at the centre of our justice system,
and improve confidence in the parole process
Convicted murderer Russell Causley, who killed his wife Carole
Packman in 1985, will become the first prisoner to have a public
parole hearing after the government lifted the ban on public
hearings in July this year.
Causley was released from prison by the Parole Board in 2020
after serving 23 years for the murder but was brought back to
jail by the Probation Service in November 2021 for breaching his
licence conditions.
For the first time, victims, the public and media will get to
attend a hearing and better understand how decisions over whether
to release prisoners are made.
The change marks a major step in opening up the parole process,
following calls for greater transparency after the subsequently
reversed decision to release black cab rapist John Worboys in
2018.
Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for
Justice, , said:
Pulling back the curtain on the parole process by allowing
hearings to be heard in public is a major step forward for
victims who want to see justice being done first-hand.
It marks the first step in our reforms to overhaul the system –
putting victims and public protection front and centre of 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 heart of the process. Under previous
rules, victims could ask for a personal statement to be read out
on their behalf but were not allowed to witness 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 up the rules around open prison moves so all
indeterminate sentence offenders – those who have committed the
most serious crimes, including murder and rape – face much
stricter criteria to move from closed to open prison.
Further reforms, including a tougher release test for parole
prisoners and new powers for the Justice Secretary to block the
release of dangerous offenders, are also set to be introduced.
Other measures include increasing the number of Parole Board
members with law enforcement backgrounds who can bring their
experience of keeping the public safe to parole decision making.
