Parole Board guidance
The work of the Parole Board is guided by a number of different directions, rules and stated policies. Some of these, such as the Secretary of State's Directions or the Parole Board Rules, have been issued by Ministers others, such as the practice guidance for oral hearings have been agreed by the Parole Board Management Board.
The Parole Board strives to be as open and as transparent as possible but must do so within the requirements of the law, which require the Board to observe legal restraints on the disclosure of confidential and/or personal information. By promoting better understanding of our processes and the principles underlying our decision making, the Board aims to build greater confidence in the quality of those decisions amongst the public, prisoners and our partner organisations. We are committed to publishing as much information as possible about our policy and practice in the Freedom of Information section of this website.
Related Information
Guidance on LAPSO (PDF)
Guidance has been produced for Parole Board members following the LASPO (Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012) coming into force on 3 December 2012.
Oral hearings guide (PDF)
This set of guidance is issued to Parole Board members to assist them when they are conducting oral hearings considering parole applications from prisoners. It includes pre-hearing, procedural and equality issues and also discusses roles at the hearing and the decision itself. This guidance was updated in March 2012.
Parole for children and young people
Secretary of State's Directions
In considering the cases before them members of the Parole Board are guided by Directions issued by the Secretary of State under Section 32(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 or Section 239(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.
Parole Board Rules
In arranging the timetable and procedures for oral hearings the Parole Board follows the Parole Board Rules made by the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 32(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.
Practice guidance for oral hearings
Following the Court of Appeal judgment in the case of R oao Osborn & Booth [2010] EWCA Civ 1409, the Parole Board issued in January 2011 practice guidance on the consideration of the necessity of or suitability for oral hearings to assist both members in making their decisions and Parole Board users in making their requests for oral hearings.
Oral hearing listing prioritisation framework
In November 2009 the Parole Board revised the oral hearing listing prioritisation framework, which it first introduced in April 2009 to reduce delays in oral hearings by prioritising older cases which were unable to be heard when originally scheduled.
Juvenile oral hearings
In November 2010 the Parole Board agreed an extension to the existing policy of having oral hearings for all juveniles serving extended sentences for public protection who apply for parole while under the age of 18.
Intensive case management
In January 2008 the Parole Board launched a system of intensive case management to support Parole Board members in their deliberations, especially in the cases of those sexual of violent offenders that pose particular difficulties for risk assessment.
Freedom of Information
The Parole Board is committed to publishing as much information as possible about policy and practice under Freedom of Information guidelines.
