Board warns of parole hearing delays

PRISONERS applying for early release could end up finishing their sentences before the Parole Board rules on their application because of delays in processing their cases.

The Board warned yesterday of hold-ups in getting psychological and psychiatric assessments, probation and welfare reports and other information needed to properly review cases.

It said a “significant number” of reviews had to be delayed because reports were not available, and put the blame for the problem on overstretched, under-resourced support services.

“The situation is less than satisfactory but, having regard for the resources available, is hardly surprising,” said board chairman, Gordon Holmes, in his annual report published yesterday.

The Parole Board reviews cases where the sentence is at least eight years which, with the normal remission for good behaviour, means a prisoner can get out after six years.

The delays meant the board was able to deal fully with just 74 cases in 2003 when it had a total caseload of 174, including 72 new cases, 67 carried over from the previous year and 35 requests previously refused but referred for a second or subsequent time.

Mr Holmes pointed out that the board had sufficient capacity to handle a higher volume of cases and said the process of gathering information should begin in the early years following sentence, both because it could ease the logjam later on and because the information would be fresher.

Mr Holmes added that the board was “gravely concerned” that some prisoners who were never assessed by the board were able to get substantial temporary releases through the prison authorities.

He also questioned whether remission should be conditional, not just on good behaviour, but on the prisoner attending rehabilitative courses.

He said the whole issue of remission should be reviewed, including the possibility of increasing the standard 25% reduction in sentence time for non-violent offenders who attend the appropriate courses.

Fourteen murderers serving life sentences were among the prisoners who applied for early release in 2003 but while the board did not disclose its recommendations in any case, it said media suggestions that early releases were commonplace were wrong.

“Unless there are the most extenuating circumstances, a person convicted of murder can expect no clemency until he or she has served an extremely lengthy sentence,” Mr Holmes said.

The biggest group of prisoners applying for early release were serving between eight and ten years and the most frequent applications came from Wheatfield Prison in Dublin. After murders, the most common offences were robberies and drug crimes.

The board can not block or order the release of a prisoner but makes recommendations in each case to the Minister for Justice.