Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2001 changes: consultation

3. Background

3.1 The Parole Board for Scotland ("the Parole Board") is an independent Non- Departmental Public Body which makes recommendations to the Scottish Ministers about the release of prisoners on parole licence.

3.2 The Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993 ("the 1993 Act") determines the point at which a person will be considered for parole based on the sentence the person gets after conviction.

3.3 The Parole Board makes recommendations for release for people who have been sentenced to four years or more, extended sentence prisoners, people subject to Orders of Lifelong Restriction and Life Sentence Prisoners. The Parole Board also makes recommendations on the licence conditions of Short Term Sex Offenders and for people who have reached their Earliest Date of Liberation.

3.4 The Parole Board, along with the Scottish Ministers, also makes recommendations on the recall and re-release of people if they have breached their licence conditions.