§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether prisoners who maintain their innocence and who refuse to attend a sex offenders treatment programme will be(a) denied parole and (b) have limited privileges. [49832]
§ Beverley HughesRefusal to participate in the sex offenders' treatment programme as a consequence of a prisoner maintaining his innocence is not of itself a bar to the release of prisoners on parole licence. An assessment of the prisoner's current level of risk is the pre-eminent factor in determining whether he/she may be granted parole. Offending behaviour programmes, such as the sex offender treatment programme, depend upon a prisoner being willing to discuss their offending. Therefore, such programmes are not open to prisoners who deny their guilt. Whilst the absence of reports on a prisoner's progress on such programmes makes it more difficult to make an assessment risk, it should still be possible to make one, taking into account, among other things, the prisoner's attitudes and behaviour during sentence.
The criteria for earning and retaining privileges will depend on a number of factors, including attitudes to and involvement in sentence planning and a willingness to make constructive use of their time in custody. Where a prisoner refuses, for any reason, to address their offending behaviour this may be relevant when assessing a prisoner's privilege level and may be sufficient to deny a prisoner enhanced status.