Lifers 'may strain parole system'

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Procedures to release prisoners serving life sentences could be put under great strain if the number of cases rise, a report has found.

Criminal Justice Inspection reviewed risk assessment measures for readying life-sentenced prisoners for release.

About 20 cases a year are dealt with, but a new law will mean an increase in the number of parole hearings.

CJI said a balance needed to be struck between public protection and allowing prisoners to resettle in the community.

Increase

Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice Dr Michael Maguire said in recent years, more pressure had been put on the Prison Service, the Probation Board and the Parole Commissioners by the increasing number of life-sentence cases.

At the time of the review, there were 55 life-sentence prisoners at or beyond the point of being considered for release.

The Criminal Justice Order 2008 includes the processing of applications by prisoners serving extended and indeterminate sentence cases.

Dr Maguire said: "These changes have the potential to place an even greater burden on the Parole Commissioners at a time when the Prison Service has already been finding it difficult to cope with the demands of servicing current levels of parole hearings.

He said the bodies needed to "engage proactively with one another to plan ahead for the increased workload".

The inspectors found that overall, procedures compared favourably with those in other jurisdictions.