Parole Reform in Scotland - A consultation on proposals for legislative change

Overview

The Scottish Government has established the Parole Reform Programme Board which will in part deliver the manifesto commitment. The programme aims to clarify the role and status of the Board, simplify and modernise processes and support consistency of approach. Some of these changes can be addressed administratively through the review of existing processes and by better collaborative working with other bodies involved in the process, but some of the proposed improvements may require legislative change.

Why your views matter

To deliver some of the aims of the Parole Reform Programme we are consulting to gather views on potential changes to legislation relating to the:

• Governance of the Parole Board;
• Involvement of Scottish Ministers in the parole process;
• Tests that the Parole Board apply in determining whether to release;
• Timescales for subsequent reviews following initial consideration for parole;
• Way in which information is supplied to the Parole Board; and,
• Administrative procedures for considering cases as set out in the Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2001 (“the Rules”).

Download the consultation paper.

What happens next

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public here.

If you use Citizen Space (this platform) to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so.