The Parole Board. Working with others to protect the public.
Victims and families
You should be reassured that the Parole Board will still seek to gather information from other sources, such as your Victim Liaison Officer (VLO), to help them make decisions about risk that relate to victim safety and wellbeing even if you choose not to take part for whatever reason.
Even if you do not feel able to participate in the scheme, the Parole Board and the criminal justice system will still ensure that your interests are considered during their decision making. You can still put forward your views about any licence conditions or other restrictions which you think are necessary to protect you or your family. These will be put forward to the Parole Board through your VLO.
Victim Personal Statements (VPS) provide an opportunity for victims to have a voice in criminal justice processes. They enable you to tell the court or the Parole Board how the offence has affected you or your family. You may already have made a Victim Personal Statement at the time when the offence was committed or of the trial. You may wish to update that statement to reflect your current feelings and views or to make one if you have not previously done so.
You can make a VPS if you have been the victim of any offence. If you have been the victim of a sexual or violent offence and the offender has been imprisoned for 12 months or more, or detained in hospital with restrictions on his or her release, then you can get help from a victim liaison officer. A family member, such as a spouse or parent may make the statement if the victim is deceased, incapacitated or is a young person under the age of 18.
The National Probation Service operates the probation victim contact scheme and a victim liaison officer (VLO) will provide you with information about how the Parole Board considers and makes decisions about offenders cases. The officer will explain how you can put your views to the Board in a VPS. Your VLO will explain the process and help you set down your views on the VPS form.
You should include your views on:
The Parole Board is an independent body which makes its decisions about the offenders level of risk based on the evidence it considers. It can therefore only consider evidence you put forward which relates to the risk the offender may present to you or your family, or to any potential future victim and cannot base its decision on your views on whether or not the offender should be released.
The VPS will be submitted to the Parole Board in paper format. If the Parole Board holds an oral hearing, you can request to have the VPS presented by a public protection advocate or you can apply to present it yourself. Advocates attend hearings to present evidence about the offender to the Parole Board. Your Victims Liaison Officer will be able to discuss the options with you. They will be able to provide you with a leaflet about oral hearings and explain what happens at a hearing. This will help you decide which option you wish to choose for the presentation of your VPS at an oral hearing. The Parole Board will consider your VPS in the same way whether it is presented in writing or orally.
You may submit an application via your Victim Liaison Officer to withhold your VPS and any other information you submit from the prisoner. The decision whether to agree to your request will be made by the offender manager if a paper based hearing is held or the chair of the hearing if a Parole Board oral hearing is taking place. In the vast majority of cases, the victims request to withhold their evidence from the prisoner is granted.
Yes, you should be given the opportunity to withdraw your statement or for your views to be presented in a different way. Your VLO will be able to advise you on this.
Grenadier House, 99-105 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2DX
Telephone 0845 251 2220