Examination of Witnesses (Questions 100-104)
28 OCTOBER 2003
MR DAVID
HATCH CBE JP AND
MS CHRISTINE
GLENN
Q100 Mrs Dean: Are you able to demonstrate
statistically that there is a fairness in the numbers who are
given parole with regards to their ethnic background?
Ms Glenn: That is what we referred
to earlier, the statistics that David gave. The Home Office research
and development people did this survey and they concluded that
there was no significant statistical imbalance. The Public Accounts
Committee recommended that there should be a survey done every
year. I think the feeling at the moment is that it should perhaps
be every two years because it was quite expensive and given that
there was nothing statistically wrong here we thought we would
leave a year and then do it in two years' time.
Q101 Mrs Dean: That will be on-going
will it?
Ms Glenn: Absolutely, yes.
Q102 Mrs Dean: Can I turn to the
public awareness of the role of the Parole Board which, again,
you mentioned earlier. You also mentioned that there are articles
in Inside Time. Are you content, therefore that prisoners
are aware and fully understand the parole process?
Mr Hatch: No, I do not think they
are yet. This is something we need to do something about. I think
we have various audiences to address. I think we have to address
the prisoner and the prisons about what our role is and how to
do it. I think we have to address the rest of our partners in
the Criminal Justice System which is why we have the VIP system
and why we have the liaison members in prisons. Thirdly, we have
a job in convincing the public that what we are doing is right
and fair. We currently have the video. Next year there are going
to be three programmes on Radio 4 about parole and we are giving
them all the access they would wish to have. As a former controller
of Radio 4, I hope they will treat it properly, decently and honestly
and we will see what the public make when they hear more about
how the parole system works. I think it will be very difficult
for us to convince the public in some areas with what the press
say about us that we will ever get it right. We address those
three constituencies, but I do not think I am addressing some
areas of public awareness out there because I do not think I would
ever convince them that what we are doing is right.
Ms Glenn: Going back to your particular
question, so far as the prisoner is concerned at the moment every
single prisoner will either have an interview with a Parole Board
member where it can be explained on a one-to-one basis or they
will have an oral hearing. There is an opportunity for the Board
to explain to individuals. Whether prisoners in the round understand
it is the next stage of addressing the issue. If interviews go
I think the position will be weakened.
Q103 Mrs Dean: It sounds like something
you could do for prime time television, besides Radio 4. There
are so many life programmes now.
Mr Hatch: I always found that
the best way of getting messages across on Radio 4 was to put
something in the Archers. This is actually quite a serious answer.
Quite a lot of serious messages are given through Coronation Street,
through Eastenders, through the Archers. Actually that is how
quite a lot of people get the public messages if they are well
enough done.
Ms Glenn: The Bill actually got
it wrong on parole so we tried to put it right. They said that
if they do another story on parole they will come back to us so
we are keeping our fingers crossed.
Q104 Mrs Dean: Lastly, on the Criminal
Justice Bill which you have already mentioned several times, could
you say a bit more about what systems the Board has put in place
to meet its new duties in relation to dangerous offenders?
Ms Glenn: We still have not finalised
the processes because it will take some time for those to come
through, but what we are anticipating is that they will go through
this same sifting exercise, the oral hearing system that we have
set up for the other lifers. We think it is much more sensible
just to have one system that everybody understands. That is what
we are hoping to do.
Chairman: Thank you very much indeed.
Can I say that that was a very helpful session. For those of us
who are relatively new to the Committee or to this area of policy
you have given us a lot of useful background information as well
as answering our questions.
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