Overview

This Bill mandates that the Parole Board in England and Wales consider a prisoner's failure to disclose information about a victim when deciding on release. This applies to prisoners serving sentences for murder, manslaughter, or creating/possessing indecent images of children where key information, such as the victim's location or the child's identity, remains unknown.

Description

The Bill amends existing legislation (the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003) to incorporate the new disclosure requirement. Specifically:

• Murder/Manslaughter Cases: If the Parole Board doesn't know how or where a victim's remains were disposed of and believes the prisoner has relevant undisclosed information, this non-disclosure must be considered when deciding whether the prisoner's release is safe for the public.
• Indecent Images Cases: If the Parole Board doesn't know the identity of a child in an indecent image and believes the prisoner has relevant undisclosed information, this non-disclosure must be considered when deciding whether the prisoner's release is safe for the public.

The Bill clarifies that the Parole Board's consideration of non-disclosure is in addition to, not in place of, other relevant factors already considered in the release process. The amendments apply to sentences passed both before and after the Bill's enactment.

Government Spending

The Bill is unlikely to have a significant direct impact on government spending. The administrative costs associated with the Parole Board's consideration of this new factor are expected to be minimal.

Groups Affected

• Prisoners serving life sentences for murder or manslaughter: Their chances of parole may be reduced if they withhold information about the victim.
• Prisoners serving sentences for creating or possessing indecent images of children: Their chances of parole may be reduced if they withhold information about the child victim.
• Victims' families: May see a potential increase in the likelihood that relevant information is sought and considered during the parole process.
• Parole Board: Will have an additional factor to consider in parole decisions.

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