My dossier

What is in my dossier?

The Board reviews each case on the basis of a dossier prepared by and submitted to it by the Secretary of State.  The key elements of this dossier are:

• An outline of the offence(s) for which the sentence was imposed
• A list of previous convictions
• Any pre-sentence medical reports
• Any pre- and/or post-sentence probation reports
• An outline of the sentence to date, including summaries of progress and any disciplinary problems
• Evidence from programmes or interventions aimed at addressing risk
• Current reports, including; reports from prison staff; a report from probation staff; a psychological assessment (where available); a psychiatric assessment (where appropriate)
• The prisoner's representations (where made) and any independent reports he or she has commissioned

What can I put into the dossier?

After you have read the dossier, you will have time to send in anything you want the Parole Board to read. These are your "representations". There are no rules about what you can say and the Parole Board will read all of your representations before making a decision. Many prisoners ask their solicitor for help.

Is anything in the dossier kept secret?

In almost every case, you will see everything in the dossier before the Parole Board. It is your legal right to full disclosure. But, sometimes the Governor can stop you from seeing documents under Prison Service Order 6000. If this happens, you will be told and asked to sign a form to say that you understand. This is only done very rarely, however, and most prisoners will see all the papers. Papers that can be kept from you might include a victim's statement or a security report, but whatever it is, it has to be justified by the Governor under PSO 6000.

The Parole Board for England and Wales

Grenadier House, 99-105 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2DX

Telephone 0845 251 2220