Mr. Edward Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average number of years served by persons released from prison after serving life sentences during the period from 1st January 1961 to 31st December 1971.
§ Mr. CarlisleIt is unrealistic and can be misleading to think in terms of an "average number of years" in this context.
The length of detention served by life sentence prisoners released on licence from prisons in England and Wales from 1st January 1961 to 31st December 1972 was as follows:
25WThese figures, however, give no indication of the length of time likely to be served by those convicted of the more heinous types of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment since the passing of the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965.
Mr. Edward Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what
Shortest period served Sex of Offender Year of Release Years Months Offence 1968 … — 6 M Murder 1969 … 5 6 M Manslaughter (diminished responsibility) 1970 … 3 — F Manslaughter (diminished responsibility) 1971 … 3 4 M Manslaughter (diminished responsibility) 1972 … 4 — F Murder In all these cases there were strong mitigating circumstances. The prisoner released after six months had been convicted of the mercy killing of a mongol child.