Parole Board reviews of terrorists delayed due to pandemic
Parole Board reviews of some terrorists have been delayed after coronavirus outbreaks in prisons hampered efforts to carry out hearings.
Some of the cases are deemed so serious that a meeting in person must take place to decide whether an inmate is safe to be freed from jail.
Rob Mckeon, one of a handful of specialist Parole Board panel members who considers terrorism cases, said a small number had been affected due to difficulties in visiting locked-down prisons where the hearings take place.
He said: “If it is necessary to go into a prison to properly consider that case, and we are unable to do so because of an outbreak of coronavirus in that particular establishment … that’s a necessary delay because our job is to ensure public protection, because if we get it wrong, the risk is tremendous.”
The Parole Board has managed to carry out many reviews with hearings online or by looking at written evidence, where appropriate. But some face-to-face hearings are unavoidable.
In recent months Covid-19 outbreaks are understood to have been seen in around 90 prisons in England and Wales. But the latest figures show positive cases now being recorded in around 40 jails.
In some cases evidence also took longer to reach the board, adding to delays. As a result, some reviews may take place not long before an offender’s automatic release date at the end of their sentence. But Mr Mckeon said delays are only affecting a “handful” of cases.
He said new legislation put a “spotlight” on terrorism cases, which make up a small number of more than 20,000 cases the board considers every year. But they can take longer to consider because they are complex and also due to the “level of scrutiny” needed.
Some 22 cases have been referred to the Parole Board under the new legislation so far. Out of ten cases completed, two were directed for release, seven were refused and remain in jail and one case was withdrawn as the offender faced deportation.
Khranjit Nijjer, 32, from south-east London, was jailed in 2018 for five years and three months for funding her husband’s terrorist activities in Syria. The Parole Board confirmed she was cleared for release after a hearing.