The Parole Board. Working with others to protect the public.
News
29/03/2006
The Cambridge University based Centre for Public Law, the Institute of Criminology and the Parole Board today announced that they will jointly host a major conference at the Faculty of Law in Cambridge to explore the challenges facing the Parole Board as its role evolves under changing legislation and workloads.
The conference, entitled "The Role and Functions of the Parole Board: Perceptions of Fairness" will take place on the 15th and 16th September 2006. It will bring together leading speakers from a wide variety of disciplines to explore and contribute to the debate around the changing role of the Parole Board. It will also explore key issues in predicting risk and decision making and will focus on the growing number of recalled prisoners and those subject to indeterminate sentences.
The conference is aimed at practitioners and academics with an interest in the workings of the Parole Board, public lawyers, probation officers, criminologists and others interested in decision-making, institutional change, public law and risk management.
Speakers include Sir Duncan Nichol (Chairman of the Parole Board), Professor Stephen Shute (Professor, University of Birmingham), Dr Nicky Padfield (Senior Lecturer, University of Cambridge), Dr Gill Atrill (Senior Psychologist in the Prison Service) and Russell A'Court (Head of Release and Recall Section, the Home Office). Also speaking will be leading prisoners rights lawyers, probation practitioners and victims representatives.
Mollie Weatheritt, Director of Quality and Standards for the Parole Board, said:
"I am delighted that we have the chance to collaborate with the Centre for Public Law to host this exciting conference. The Parole Board is currently facing the challenge of an increasing workload, changing statutory responsibilities and increased public and media scrutiny. This conference will be an opportunity for us to explore, together with the leading academics and practitioners in this country, how we can meet these challenges."
Professor Christopher Forsyth, Director of the Centre for Public Law, said:
"The Centre for Public Law is delighted to co-operate with the Parole Board and the Institute of Criminology in convening this important conference. The fairness of Parole Board proceedings in deciding upon the release and recall of prisoners is a vital matter of public interest. The conference will discuss some of the very difficult issues that face the Parole Board that involve balancing fairness to the public and fairness to the prisoner. The Centre is confident that the conference will contribute to the development of procedures that will address these thorny issues."
Notes to Editors
The Parole Board is the independent body that protects the public by making risk assessments about prisoners to decide who may safely be released into the community and who must remain in or be returned to custody. The Parole Board was established under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 to advise the Home Secretary on the early release of prisoners. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 established the Board as an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body.
The Centre for Public Law was established in 1996 in the Faculty of Law to provide a focus for research in all aspects of Public Law in the University of Cambridge. As such the Centre has held many conferences and seminars contributing to cutting edge debates on Public Law. The Centres Patron is Clifford Chance LLP.
For further information about the Centre for Public Law or for enquiries about the conference contact Miss Felicity Eves on 01223-330042, look on the CLP website at http://cpl.law.cam.ac.uk/forthcoming_events/conferences.php or e-mail fre20@cam.ac.uk.
For further information about the Parole Board please call Tim Morris, Head of Communications for the Parole Board, on 020-7217 0564 during office hours, or on 07725-927954 out of hours, look on the Parole Board website at www.paroleboard.gov.uk or e-mail tim.morris5@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
ENDS
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