Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson has become the first person to formally ask for a public Parole Board hearing after rules were changed in a bid to remove the secrecy behind the process. Reforms which came into force on Thursday mean parole hearings could take place in public for the first time.
This will allow case reviews – which determine if an inmate should be freed from jail or stay behind bars – to be opened up to victims and the press. The prisoners in question, Government ministers and officials are also among those who can request the case is not discussed behind closed doors.
Bronson, one of the UK’s longest serving prisoners who has since changed his name to Salvador, was widely expected to request his latest parole hearing was heard in public, having previously said he wanted his to be the first to take place. The Parole Board confirmed on Thursday a request for Bronson’s case to be heard in public has been received and will now be considered.
