§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the number of prisoners serving life sentences has increased in each of the past five years; what is the percentage increase over the whole period; and to what causes they attribute any increase. [HL1430]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Filkin)The number of prisoners serving life sentences has increased in each of the past five years.
The number of prisoners serving life sentences in June 1997 was 3,721. The number of prisoners serving life sentences in June 2002 was 5,147. This represents a total increase of 1,426.
The percentage increase in the population of life sentenced prisoners between 1997 and 2002 is 38 percent.
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the light of low reoffending by lifers released on parole, they consider that the Life Sentence Management Unit and the Parole Board are working effectively to move prisoners towards parole and re-entry into society. [HL1432]
§ Lord FilkinI am satisfied that through the work of Lifer Unit, the Prison Service's responsibilities for progressing lifers towards release when it is safe to do so are being managed properly and effectively. In this, the independent Parole Board plays a key role through its assessments of a prisoner's risk.
Individually and jointly, the Lifer Unit and the Parole Board continue to seek to improve the lifer review process. I am satisfied that the overall risk assessment and review processes continue to work to the benefit of the prisoner and to society as a whole.