In Ireland a life sentence does mean life, and a person serving a life sentence is released from that sentence by way of reviewable temporary release, which we commonly refer to “parole”.
Prisoners who have received a life sentence were eligible to apply for temporary release after just 7 years however this has just been changed with the formation of Ireland’s new Parole Board.
Prisoners sentenced to life in prison will not be considered for parole until they have served at least 12 years under new laws.
The new system will ensure that victims will continue to be informed when a prisoner is considered for parole and will be entitled to make submissions to the board.
An important aspect to the new Parole Board involves the Minister for Justice. Up until the Parole Boards founding this month, the Minister for Justice had the final say as to who was granted, or not granted early release. This is no longer the responsibility of the Minister and is now the responsibility of the Parole Board. This will give full transparency and remove any political bias from these important decisions.
In a statement issued by the Irish Penal Reform Trust, the NGO said;
“The Irish Penal Reform Trust notes the wide-ranging areas of expertise across the appointments to the Parole Board, with members having significant experience working with victims, as well as prisoners. In particular, IPRT welcomes that appointments include three members selected through the Public Appointments Service.”
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