Getting answers through parole hearings
This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.
As of the beginning of this month (April 2025), the Government has implemented a new initiative where victims of crime can attend the parole hearings of the people who committed crimes against them. In a press release from the Ministry of Justice, they outlined how victims of crime under the Victim Contact Scheme will be able to apply to the Parole Board to observe the hearings, and see first hand the scrutiny that perpetrators face before their release on parole. Throughout this process, they will be supported by their Victim Liaison Officer, and will have in-person support available on the day. Counselling and additional resources can also be made available following their attendance.
This decision is made on the back of their pilot programme, in which victims of crime in South West England and Greater Manchester attended the parole hearings of their perpetrators. As a result, one victim said “Observing the hearing was a surprisingly positive process for us. It has helped us to draw a line under the whole chapter and move on.”
We know that many victims of crime feel disempowered by the justice system, as if they are merely serving the needs of the court process rather than getting the answers they need to heal and move forwards. This new initiative is a chance to change that for some people, giving them the option to find out more about the person that harmed them, the progress they have made and what the next steps will be. One of the victims in the pilot programme said “Before the parole hearing, I had some unanswered questions. Observing the hearing helped me answer many of these.”
The scheme is one step towards a more restorative approach to justice, that centres the needs of the people most affected, and uses communication and dialogue to help meet those needs. Similarly, Restorative Justice also allows people affected by crime to seek answers to the ‘unanswered questions’ they are left with after a crime. Utilising these resources and embedding them in what is currently a punitive and single track justice system will help many victims to repair some of the harm caused by crime and move forwards positively.
The Labour Government has stated its mission to “put the needs of victims first”. Whilst the new developments are a step in the right direction, until a fully restorative approach is integrated into the system, where victims of crime have the chance to get their voice heard and explore a way to have their questions answered, there is still more that can be done.
In 2017, Why me? published a resource on Restorative Justice for Parole Board panel members. It is crucial that those involved in the parole system are aware of the power of Restorative Justice, and those who are supporting victims of crime through this new initiative are able to sensitively make the offer.