The never-ending story: Indeterminate sentencing and the prison regime

• TheImprisonmentforPublicProtectionsentence(IPP)waspoorlyplannedandimplementedandresultedinunjustpunishments,particularlyforthosesentencedpriorto2008.Despitetheabolitionofthesentencein2012,serious implicationsfortheprisonestateremain

• Therearecurrently5,809peopleinprisonservinganIPP;overhalf(3,570)havepassedtheirtariffdate

• Urgentactionneedstobetakentoenablethesafereleaseofpeopleservingpost-tariffIPPsintothecommunity

• Theanalysisisbasedoninformationprovidedby103seniorprisongovernors,whoseresponsesdrewalmostexclusivelyontheirexperienceofworkingwithIPPprisoners.ThemajorityreportedthatIPPsentenceshadanegativeimpactonprisoners,prisonstaff,andtheprisonregime

• ThefindingssuggestthatthereareinsufficientresourcestodeliverIPPseffectively.ResourceshortagesoftenleadtoresentmentbetweenIPPprisonersandotherprisonersandmaythreatenthesafetyandstabilityoftheprisonregime

• Ninety-twopercentreportedthatIPPsdecreasedstaffjobsatisfactionastheyunderminedstaffcredibility,preventedstafftreatingallprisonersfairly,andoftenmeantstaffwereunabletoassistprisonersinprogressingthroughtheirsentences

• Themajorityrecommendedthatthegovernmentenablepost-tariffIPPprisonerstobesafelymanagedintothecommunity.Toachievethis,respondentssaiditwasnecessarytoincreaseresources,enhancetheroleofprobation,alterthereleaseprocessforIPPprisonersandconvertIPPsentenceswithshortminimumtermstodeterminatesentences.

Key points

Research briefing

Introduction InDecember2012theImprisonmentforPublicProtectionsentence(IPP)wasabolishedbytheLegalAid,Sentencing,andPunishmentofOffendersAct(LASPO)2012.TheActwasnotappliedretrospectively,andtherearecurrently5,809peopleinprisonservinganIPP,3,570ofwhomarebeingdetainedaftertheirtariffdatehasexpired(MinistryofJustice,2013a).TheHowardLeagueforPenalReformhaslongstandingconcernsabouttheprinciplesbehind,andtheapplicationof,theIPPsentence.In2008thecharitypublishedareporturgingthegovernmenttoabolishthesentence,arguingthatitwasill-conceivedandfundamentallyflawed(HowardLeague,2008);fouryearslatertheseconcernswereaddressedandthesentencewasabolished.ThelegalteamattheHowardLeaguehasrepresentedchildrensentencedtoDetentionforPublicProtectionsentences(DPP–theparallelindeterminatesentenceforjuveniles)regardingissuessuchasaccesstooffenderbehaviourcourses,transfertoopenconditions,anddetentionaftertheendofthetariffperiod.ThePrisonGovernors’Association(PGA)hasexpressedconcernaboutthosewhoremainincustodyservingIPPsentences.Its2012conferencevotedoverwhelminglyinsupportofamotionwelcomingtheendoftheIPP,andcallingongovernmenttotakeactiontopreventexistingIPPprisonersfromservingdisproportionatelylongsentences.ConcernsremainregardingIPPprisonersandtheirsafemanagementthroughtheprisonsystemandbackintothecommunity.ThePGAandtheHowardLeaguehaveworkedinpartnershiptosurveyPGAmembersinordertoascertaintheimpactofIPPprisonersontheprisonenvironmentandonprisonstaff;andtoputforwardrecommendationsformanagingsafelythereleaseofthosecurrentlyservingIPPsintothecommunity.Thesurveyelicited103responses,almostallrespondentswerehighlyexperiencedseniorprisonservicestaff,withdirectexperienceofworkingwithIPPprisoners.Onaverage,respondentshadworkedintheprisonsystemfor21years.Onefifthofrespondentswerecurrentlyworkinginprisonsholdingover100IPPprisoners.Thesurveycomprisedtenresearchquestionsexploringthreemainissues:1.TheimpactofIPPprisonersontheoverall prisonregime

2.TheimpactofIPPprisonersonprisonstaff3.What,ifanything,oughttobedonetomanagethesafereleaseofpost-tariffIPPprisonersbackintothecommunity?

Thisbriefingpresentsananalysisofthesurveyfindingsandputsforwardrecommendationsto

enablethoseincustodyservingIPPsentencestobemanagedsafelyintothecommunity.RecommendationsarebasedbothonresponsestothesurveyandtheHowardLeague’sknowledgeandexperienceoftheissuessurroundingIPPsentences.

BackgroundTheIPPsentencewasintroducedbytheCriminalJusticeAct2003.Itwascreatedtoincreasethepowersofcourtswhendealingwiththosetermed‘dangerousoffenders’.IPPsoperateinasimilarwaytolifesentences,whereasentencedpersonmustserveaminimumtermortariffbeforetheycanbeconsideredforrelease.Oncethetariffhasexpired,theParoleBoardmustdeterminewhetheritis‘completelysatisfiedthattheriskhadsufficientlydiminishedforthatpersontobereleasedandsupervisedinthecommunity’(CriminalJusticeService,2002:95).Followingrelease,apersonissubjecttoalifelicence.Underthe2003Act,anIPPsentencecouldbeimposedifapersoncommittedoneof153specifiedviolentorsexualoffenceslistedinthelegislation.Therewasalsoarebuttablepresumptionofdangerousnessforthosewhohadapreviousconvictionofanyoneofthespecifiedoffences.Judicialdiscretionwaslimited;oncethecriteriaweremetajudgewasrequiredtohanddownanIPPunlesstheythoughtitunreasonabletodoso.

TheIPPsentencecanbeseenastheepitomeofthemovetowardsa‘risk-basedpenalstrategy’(Ashworth,2010:422)basedprimarilyonthefutureriskanindividualispredictedtopresent,ratherthanontheoffenceforwhichtheyhavebeenconvicted.TheNewLabouryearsingovernment(1997–2010)sawadistinctchangeincriminaljusticeandsentencingpolicy;publicprotectiontookamoreprominentroleasapurposeofsentencing,andproportionality–theconceptthatthesentencereflectstheseriousnessofthecrime–increasinglyhadlessinfluence(JacobsonandHough,2010).Suchanapproachhasbeenheavilycriticisedbybothacademicsandthoseworkingwithinthecriminaljusticesystemonthegroundsthattheabilitytoidentifydangerousnessandpredictriskisquestionable(Ashworth,2010),andthatthereducedprominenceofproportionalityinsentencingleadstounfairandunjustsentences(JacobsonandHough,2010).TheIPPsentencecameintoforceinApril2005.Withintwoyearsalmost3,000peoplehadbeensentencedtoanIPP(MinistryofJustice,2013b)whichwassubstantiallymorethantheHomeOfficehadanticipated.BySeptember2012,thisfigurehadrisento8,233(Ibid.).Althoughthesentencewasdesignedtoapplytothosewhocommittedseriousanddangerousoffences,manyofthosesentencedhadatriggeroffencethatwasofalessseriousnatureandaccordingly

receivedshorttariffs;athirdhadatariffoflessthantwoyears(JacobsonandHough,2010)withonetariffsetaslowas28days(StricklandandBeard,2012).Thefuture-risk-basedrationaleofthesentencewaspredicatedonthosesentencedhavingaccesstooffendingbehaviourcoursesthatwouldtheoreticallyenablethemtoreducetheirlevelofrisk,anddemonstratethistotheParoleBoard.IPPprisonersarethereforeaparticularlyresource-intensivegroup,andthelargenumbersofIPPprisonersenteringprisonsplacedconsiderablestrainsonthesystem(Ibid.).ThePrisonServicewasnotresourcedtodelivertherehabilitativecoursesrequiredandtheParoleBoarddidnothavethecapacitytohearthenumerousadditionalcases(HMChiefInspectorofPrisonsandHMChiefInspectorofProbation,2008).Thesefactors,incombinationwiththeveryshorttariffsmanyIPPprisonerswereserving,resultedinthevastmajoritybeingdetainedpost-tariffandveryfewbeingreleasedatall.Thisinturnsignificantlyincreasedtheprisonpopulationandsawtheindeterminately-sentencedprisonpopulationgrowby135percentbetween2005and2012(StricklandandBeard,2012).InordertoamelioratetheseissuesstepsweretakentolimittheapplicationoftheIPPintheCriminalJusticeandImmigrationAct2008.Thistightenedtheeligibilitycriteria,requiringthatapersonbeconvictedofaserious,specifiedoffencemeritingadeterminatesentenceofatleastfouryears(effectivelyaminimumtwoyeartariff),removingtherebuttablepresumptionofdangerousnessandgivingjudgesgreaterdiscretionastowhethertohanddownthesentence.Thesealterationshadamodestimpact,reducingtherateofnewIPPsentencesbyaroundathirdandincreasingtheaveragetarifflength(StricklandandBeard,2012).However,thenumberofprisonersreleasedcontinuedtobesmallandtheproblemsofincreasingnumbersandinsufficientresourcesremained.Thenon-retrospectiveapplicationoftheActmeantthatthosesentencedpriorto2008withshorttariffsremainedincustodyservingincreasinglydisproportionatesentenceswithlittleopportunitytoprovetheirriskhaddiminished(JacobsonandHough,2010).TheIPPwasabolishedinLASPO2012,replacedbyasystemof‘two-strikes’lifesentencesandextendeddeterminatesentences.KennethClarkeQCMP,thethenJusticeSecretary,statedthatIPPswere‘unclear,inconsistentandhavebeenusedfarmorethanwaseverintended...Thatisunjusttothepeopleinquestionandcompletelyinconsistentwiththepolicyofpunishment,reformandrehabilitation’(Hansard,2011).However,theabolitionwasnotappliedretrospectively.Ofthepost-tariffprisonerscurrentlyservinganIPP,asignificantnumberweresentencedpriorto2008withatariffperiodoflessthantwoyears.

Thepost-tariffdetentionofthoseservingIPPs(particularlythosesentencedpriorto2008)hasbeensubjecttonumerouslegalchallenges.In2012theissuewentbeforetheEuropeanCourtofHumanRights(ECHR)inJames, Wells and Leev.the United Kingdom,wheretheseven-judgepanelunanimouslyheldthatfailuretoprovideaccesstotherehabilitativecoursesrequiredtoproveriskreductionrenderedthedetentionofIPPprisonerspost-tariff‘arbitraryandunlawful’.TheCoalitionGovernmentsoughtleavetoappealthedecision,butthiswasrejectedinFebruary2013(ECHR,2013).

Box 1: Numbers of IPP prisoners sentenced and released each year

Survey FindingsThesurveyofPGAmembersaddressedtheimpactthatIPPprisoners,particularlythosedetainedfollowingtheendoftheirtariffperiod,haveonthewiderprisonerpopulation,prisonstaff,andtheprisonregimeasawhole.RespondentswerealsoaskedwhethertheythoughtstepsoughttobetakentomanageIPPprisonersintothecommunitysafelywithaparticularfocusonthosewhohadpassedtheirtariffperiod.FullsurveyresultscanbefoundontheHowardLeaguewebsite:(www.howardleague.org).Impact on prisoners and prison staffResource implicationsRespondentshighlightedtheresourceimplicationsofmanaginglargenumbersofIPPprisoners,andtheimpactthishadonotherlong-sentencedprisonersandtheprisonregimeasawhole.ItwasnotedthatattemptingtoallocateIPPprisonerstotherelevantcoursesortransferthemtoprisonsprovidingthenecessaryrehabilitationprogrammestookupasignificantamountofstafftime.Severalrespondentsaddedthatthehighnumberofcomplaintsandlegalchallengesthatpost-tariffIPPprisonersmadeplacedadditionalandunsustainableadministrativeburdensonstaff.Alargemajority(77percent)statedthattheadditionaldemandsIPPprisonersplacedonprisonresourceshadadetrimentalimpactonaccessto

Year NumbersentencedtoIPP

NumberofIPPprisonersreleased

2005 147 0

2006 1283 3

2007 1687 13

2008 1691 36

2009 1132 53

2010 959 97

2011 867 300

2012 792 444Sources:Ministryof Justice (2013c),Criminal JusticeStatistics,September2012TableQ5.6;MinistryofJustice(2013a),OffenderManagementStatistics(quarterly),OctobertoDecember2012Table3.1;MinistryofJustice(2011a),OffendingManagementCaseloadAnnualstatistics2011,TableA3.5.

rehabilitativeandeducationalcoursesfornon-IPPprisoners.Seventy-eightpercentreportedthatwaitinglistsforrehabilitativecourseswereverylongintheprisontheyworkedin.Respondentsfeltthattheneedsoflife-sentencedprisonersinparticularwerelikelytobeneglectedasresourcesweremorefocusedtowardsIPPprisoners,potentiallydelayingthereleaseoflife-sentencedprisoners.TheseresourcechallengeswereregardedasasourceofresentmentandfrustrationamongbothIPPandotherprisoners.OnerespondentnotedthatIPPprisonersexperienced‘[f]rustrationthattheyhavepassedtheirtariffdatebutareunabletosecureaspaceintheappropriateprisontomeettheirneedsand/ortheyareunabletosecureaplaceontheinterventiontheyneedduetowaitinglistsandfunding’(Respondent5).Forty-twopercentofrespondentshighlightedthattheIPPsentenceledtodivisionswithinprisonsanddifficultiesbetweenprisoners,asthoseservingIPPsresenteddeterminately-sentencedprisonerswhosecuredplacesonrehabilitationcourseswhiletheyremainedonwaitinglists,andnon-IPPprisonersoftenresentedwhattheyperceivedas‘queue-jumping’(Respondent75)byIPPprisonersintermsofaccesstocourses,parolehearings,andtimewithstaff.DisciplineRespondentsindicatedthatresentmentandperceivedunfairnessresultedinincreaseddisciplineproblemsandsecuritythreats.Forty-sixpercentofrespondentsreportedthatinstitutionshousingIPPprisonerssawincreasedlevelsofindiscipline.Withregardtopost-tariffIPPprisonersrespondentsstatedthat‘invariablytheycouldseenochanceofreleaseastheystruggledtoaccessappropriatecoursesorindeedwerenotsuitableforthesecourses.Thisledtoanxiety,resentmentanddisciplineproblemscausedbyfrustration’(Respondent63),andproduced‘[f]eelingsofnoincentive,andnodeterrentnottomisbehave’(Respondent14).ThefindingssuggestthatthelargenumberofpeoplesentencedtoIPPs,particularlythosesentencedwithshortminimumterms,hadcontributedtofeelingsofunfairnessandinjusticewithinmanyprisons.Academicresearchandofficialreportsintoprisonindisciplineanddisturbances(forexampleWoolf,1991andLiebling,2004)consistentlyhighlighttheimportanceofjustandfairtreatmentthatensuresprisonersdonotbecomedisaffectedinordertomaintainastable,safe,anddecentregime.ThesurveyindicatesthatdifficultiesmanagingtheneedsofIPPprisoners,especiallythosewhoarepost-tariff,presentpotentialteststoprisonsafetyandstability.Asonerespondentnoted:‘IfeeltheIPPsneedtohavesomethingachievabletoaimforotherwiseresentmentwillbuildwithpotentiallydisastrousconsequencesforprisonsandprisonstaff’(Respondent16).

Box 2: Impact of IPP sentences on prison staff

Staff moraleItisclearfromthesurveythatmanagingIPPprisonershadadetrimentalimpactonstaffmorale.Ninety-twopercentreportedthatIPPsdecreasedstaffjobsatisfactionastheyunderminedstaffcredibility,preventedstafffromtreatingallprisonersfairly,andoftenmeantstaffwereunabletoassistprisonersinprogressingthroughtheirsentences.Asaresultmanyrespondentsfeltstaffwerefrustratedanddemoralisedwiththeirwork.Several(20percent)notedthatthisledtopoorerrelationshipsbetweenstaffandprisoners,andsome(28percent)linkedthedifficultiesstafffacedwhenworkingwithIPPprisonerstoincreasedsecuritythreatsandindiscipline.Thecrucialroleofstaff-prisonerrelationshipsandthenecessityofamotivatedworkforceinthecreationandmaintenanceofsafeandstableprisonregimeshaslongbeennotedbyresearchersandcommentators(SeeforexampleHulley,LieblingandCrewe,2012).Reportsoffeelingsofhelplessnessamongstaffandnegativeeffectsonrelationshipswithprisonersarethereforetroubling.Onerespondentreported,‘Ihaveregularlyhadconversationswithstaffwhostate‘Icanseewhereheiscomingfrom.Hecomplied,wefailedhim,heisnownotbotheredandseesnoendtothewait!’’(Respondent32).Prisoner wellbeingRespondentsalsohighlightedthatthenatureoftheIPPsentencefrequentlyhadanegativeimpactonthehealthandwellbeingofthoseservingthesentence:86percentreportedthatIPPprisonersexperiencedhighlevelsofanxiety,andseveralnotedthatIPPprisonerswereatincreasedrisk

Noimpactatall 2%

Problemswithprisonerswantingaccesstocourses

75%

Havetodealwithmoreindisciplineamongprisoners

37%

Dissatisfactionwiththejobasunabletohelp/supportprisoners

42%

Reducesprisonstaff'scredibilityasnotseentobefair

43%

Frustrationwithabilitytodojob 48%

ProblemsmanagingmovementofIPPsandotherlifersthroughsystemfairly

88%

Problemswithsecurityissuesduetodiminishedrelationshipwithprisoners

27%

Goodjobsatisfactionasabletosupportprisoners

6%

DealingwithlargenumbersofIPPprisoners 42%

Poorerrelationswithprisoners 20%

Difficultyinachievingfairtreatmentbetweenlongandshorttariffprisoners

63%

ofself-harm.Thiswasparticularlythecaseforthosepre-2008sentencedprisonersservingshorttariffswhowouldnothavebeeneligibleforthesentencefollowingthechangesmadeintheCriminalJusticeandImmigrationAct2008.Itwasemphasisedthatthiscohortofprisonershadparticulardifficultieswithanxietyastheysawotherswhohadbeenconvictedofsimilarcrimesafter2008enterandleaveprisonwhiletheyweredetainedsubstantiallybeyondtheirtariffdate.RespondentsnotedthatIPPsentenceswereparticularlydifficultforprisonerswhohadpre-existingmentalhealthproblems,learningdifficulties,orapersonalitydisorder.Suchprisonersfacedadditionalobstaclesinaccessingrehabilitativecourses,forexample:‘SomeoffendershaveADHD,aspergersetc.andtheinterventionsteamsarenotequippedtodeliverinterventiontothisgroupofoffenders,soagaintheycanservedisproportionatesentences’(Respondent63).RespondentsviewedtheimpactofIPPsentencesonprisonerssufferingfromtheseproblemsasparticularlyunfair.

Managing prisoners safely into the communityAlmostallrespondents(97percent)agreedthatchangesneededtobemadetothecurrentsystemtoenablepost-tariffIPPprisonerstobemanagedandreleasedintothecommunitysafely.Threebroadcoursesofactionwereidentified:increasingresources;supervisioninthecommunity;andalteringthereleaseprocess.Increasing resourcesManyrespondentssuggestedthatadditionalresourcesshouldbemadeavailabletoenableIPPprisonersaccesstorehabilitativeprogrammesandtohaveasenseofprogressionthroughtheirsentencetowardsrelease.Fifty-sevenpercentrecommendedincreasingstaffnumbersand31percentrecommendedincreasingthetimestaffspentworkingdirectlywithIPPprisonersonissuesrelatedtotheirrelease.ManyrespondentsalsohighlightedtheneedtoincreasetheresourcesoftheParoleBoardandensurethatithearsapplicationsmorefrequently.Stafftrainingwasalsohighlightedasanissuethatneededtobetackled.Respondentsnotedareductionintrainingforworkingwithindeterminately-sentencedprisoners.EnsuringstaffhadsufficienttrainingtoworkwithIPPprisonerswasseenaskeytoenablingtheirsafemanagementintothecommunity.Whilerecommendationstoincreaseresourcesmightbeconsideredunrealisticinlightofthecurrentconstraintsonpublicspending,failuretoinvestintheprovisionofrehabilitativecoursesinordertomakesavingspresentsafalseeconomy.

Itcostsanaverageof£39,573peryeartokeepapersonincustody(MinistryofJustice,2011b)anditislikelythatthisfigurewillbenotablyhigherforthosesentencedtoIPPsastheyareparticularlyresource-intensiveFurther,followingthejudgmentinJames, Wells, and Lee v. United Kingdom,itislikelythatthosewhoaredetainedbeyondtheirtariffwithoutaccesstothecoursesrequiredtoreducetheirriskwillbeentitledtocompensationfromthegovernment.Supervision in the communitySurveyresultsshowthattheissueofriskremainedimportantforpre-2008sentencedIPPprisoners,butrespondentswereoftheviewthatformanyinthisgroupsupervisioninthecommunitywasappropriate.Respondentsvaluedtheworkoftheprobationservice,andsuggestedthattheprobationservicewasunder-utilisedwithregardtoIPPprisoners.Respondentsthoughtmoreshouldbedonetoenableprobationofficerstohaveagreaterroleintheriskassessmentofprisoners,andalsotosetupeffective‘throughthegate’provision.Asignificantnumber(35percent)thoughtthatmoreprobationofficersoughttoberecruitedtoworkwiththisgroupofprisoners,andthatoffendingbehaviourcoursesshouldbeavailableinthecommunitywithattendanceformingpartoflicencerequirements.Amajorityofrespondentsfeltthatthelengthoflicencesandstringencyoflicencerequirementsoughttobeincreasedwherenecessarytoensurepublicsafety.OtherrespondentsnotedthatIPPswerelikelytobereleasedonlifelicenceandfeltthiswassufficienttoprotectthepublic.Alargenumberofrespondents(71percent)favouredutilisingelectronicorsatellitetrackingtechnologyinappropriatecases,althoughevidenceastowhethertaggingiseffectiveinpreventingfurtheroffencesismixed,withresearchconductedbytheMinistryofJusticesuggestingthattagginghasaneutralimpactonreoffending(Hansard,2009).

Altering the release processThesurveyindicatedthatmanyrespondentswerekeentorevisetheprocessforidentifying,managingandassessingrisk,inordertoprevent,whereappropriate,thecontinuationofprisoners’sentencespost-tariff.Severalrespondentsdrewattentiontotherisk-aversenatureofParoleBoarddecisionmakingandsuggestedthisshouldbere-evaluated.ManystatedthattheParoleBoardoughttobelessreliantonthecompletionofparticularoffendingbehaviourcourses,withonerespondentnotingthat‘offenderswithalowriskofreconvictiondonotbenefit,orbenefitverylittlefromcompletingOBprogrammes’(Respondent74).Further,

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manyrecommendedthatgovernorsbegivenagreaterroleinconductingriskassessmentsofIPPprisonersandmakingrecommendationstotheParoleBoard(47percent).Inaddition,asmallnumberofrespondentssuggestedthatthegovernmentoughtto‘[c]onvertsentencestodeterminatelengthwithextendedlicencetosupportthesafetyofthepublic’(Respondent23).TheminimumtariffforanIPPsentencewasdeterminedbycalculatingthelengthoftheequivalentdeterminatesentencefortheoffenceandthenhalvingthis(Ashworth,2010).TheconversionofIPPsintodeterminatesentencescouldthereforebeachievedbydoublingthelengthoftheminimumtariffandremovingtheindeterminateelementofthesentence.

Box 3: Respondents’ recommendations for safe management into the community

Recommendations• Thegovernmentmusturgentlyreviewthesituationofpost-tariffIPPprisonersandimplementasystemtoenablethemtobesafelymanagedintothecommunity

• AllshorttariffIPPprisonersshouldbeprovidedwithaclearstrategytomanagetheirsafereleaseintothecommunitybeforetheendof2013.ThiscouldbeachievedbyconvertingallIPPsentenceswithshortminimumtariffsintodeterminatesentences.

• ResourcesmustbeincreasedtoenableallthoseservingIPPstoaccessthecoursesneededtoreducetheirrisk,andtoensurethatstaffhavesufficienttrainingtoworkwiththisgroup.Failingtoinvestinresourceswillresultinincreasedcostsinthelongterm

• PrisongovernorsoughttohaveagreaterroleinriskassessmentandmakingrecommendationstotheParoleBoard

• TheParoleBoardmustbegivencapacitytohearmorecasesandthecriteriaforreleasemustbereviewedandamended

• TheProbationServicehaveanimportantroleinenablingthesafemanagementofpost-tariffIPPprisonersintothecommunity.Thisrolemustberecognisedandstrengthened.

Afulllistofreferencesisavailableonour websiteathttp://www.howardleague.org/never-ending_story/

About the Howard League for Penal ReformTheHowardLeagueisanationalcharityworkingforlesscrime,safercommunitiesandfewerpeopleinprison.Itcampaigns,researchesandtakeslegalactiononawiderangeofissues.Itworkswithparliament,themedia,criminaljusticeprofessionals,studentsandmembersofthepublic,influencingdebateandforcingthroughmeaningfulchange.

Moreinfomationavailableat:www.howardleague.org

GovernorstoundertakeinitialriskassessmentandmakerecommendationtoParoleBoard

47%

AllowIPPprisonersgreateraccesstoReleaseonTemporaryLicence

25%

CircumventthecurrentsystemtoallowquickeraccesstoParoleBoard

29%

Speeduptheprocesstoopenconditions

23%

Employmoreprisonstafftodeliverthenecessarycourses

57%

RecruitmoreParoleBoardmemberssothatboardssitmorefrequently

50%

Allowprisonstaffmoretimetoworkwithprisonerstoprepareforrelease/ParoleBoardhearing

40%

Changethecriteriaandaccessconditionstorehabilitativecourses

21%

Systemisworkingwell,thereisnoneedtochangeanything

2%