Throughcare: Stages in the Provision of a Throughcare Service to Prisoners

Throughcare Map

Parole

The Parole Board for Scotland exists under the provisions of the Prisons [Scotland] Act 1989, the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings [Scotland] Act 1993 and the Convention Rights [Compliance][Scotland] Act 2001

The Board has powers to:

  • Direct the release of determinate sentence prisoners serving four years or more and it may also make directions as to the licence conditions of such prisoners;
  • Direct the release on life licence of life sentence prisoners;
  • All life prisoners must have their case for release on licence considered by a Tribunal of the Board. A Tribunal of the Board consists of three members of the Parole Board for Scotland, appointed by the Chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Tribunal must be qualified to hold judicial office.
  • Direct the recall to custody of determinate sentence prisoners, life sentence prisoners and extended sentence prisoners in circumstances where such action is considered in the public interest;
  • The Board also directs the Scottish Ministers on additional conditions to be attached to prisoner's release licences.
Parole

Please note that the contents of Throughcare Map have not been updated since 2009. As a result, certain of the processes described here may no longer be current and accurate. It remains online as an historical resource, but has been superseded by Youth & criminal justice in Scotland: the young person's journey.