The speaker at our April lunch was our very own Julia Holman on the Parole Board – her talk was joyously titled Lock ‘em up or Let ‘em Out.
Julia, by profession a criminal lawyer, was for some years a member of the Parole Board and shared her experiences and insights into its workings. It was totally absorbing. (For example, we were surprised to learn that, aside from the USA, the UK imprisons a higher proportion of its population than almost everywhere else in the world.)
After explaining the Parole Board’s set-up and legal constraints, Julia outlined a number of case studies – ranging from a young female heroin addict to Ronnie Biggs. So we were very firmly exposed to the realities of life with convicted criminals. We were also made to work for our living –much lively debate arose from trying our hand at the types of judgements the Parole Board has to make.
Julia also illuminated the controversies around being ‘out on licence’ vs ’30 years should mean 30 years’, occasional interventions by the Home Secretary and we learnt to distinguish between probation and parole.
Ultimately, we realised that the success of the Parole Board (and it is successful, with only 1 in 200 of releases requiring return to prison) comes from its independence, and from its combination of rigorous analysis with human insight and understanding.
Thank you so much, Julia, for a lively and illuminating talk.
Thanks also to Phil and Jo for yet another excellent lunch at The Stapleton Arms.
Julia, by profession a criminal lawyer, was for some years a member of the Parole Board and shared her experiences and insights into its workings. It was totally absorbing. (For example, we were surprised to learn that, aside from the USA, the UK imprisons a higher proportion of its population than almost everywhere else in the world.)
After explaining the Parole Board’s set-up and legal constraints, Julia outlined a number of case studies – ranging from a young female heroin addict to Ronnie Biggs. So we were very firmly exposed to the realities of life with convicted criminals. We were also made to work for our living –much lively debate arose from trying our hand at the types of judgements the Parole Board has to make.
Julia also illuminated the controversies around being ‘out on licence’ vs ’30 years should mean 30 years’, occasional interventions by the Home Secretary and we learnt to distinguish between probation and parole.
Ultimately, we realised that the success of the Parole Board (and it is successful, with only 1 in 200 of releases requiring return to prison) comes from its independence, and from its combination of rigorous analysis with human insight and understanding.
Thank you so much, Julia, for a lively and illuminating talk.
Thanks also to Phil and Jo for yet another excellent lunch at The Stapleton Arms.
Ann Tasker
Treasurer