“The UK supreme court has cut the compensation awarded to a life-sentence prisoner whose original release was delayed from £10,000 to £6,500, in a ruling that will nonetheless lead to payouts for scores of convicted murderers, rapists and other violent prisoners.” Full Story: The Guardian here
The UK Supreme Court cuts the compensation awarded to a life-sentence prisoner
May 8, 2013 from Leave a Comment
A man who has always maintained he was wrongly convicted of murdering his pregnant wife has been released from prison on parole
December 24, 2010 from Leave a Comment
A man who has always maintained he was wrongly convicted of murdering his pregnant wife has been released from prison on parole. Eddie Gilfoyle, 49, was found guilty of killing his wife Paula, who was found hanged in the garage of the couple’s home in Upton, Wirral in 1992. Prosecutors claimed he had fooled the [...]
SAFARI: January edition out
January 6, 2009 from Leave a Comment
The January edition of SAFARI has just been published This edition includes stories on:- PC Peter Lightfoot and colleague caught on CCTV beating innocent man they later frames for assault; 19-year-old woman cautioned for making false rape allegation; Dana Doherty admits making false allegation of rape; Home Office give Police ‘cash for [...]
Lie detector tests for convicted sex offenders to be made compulsory
December 11, 2008 from 1 Comment
Convicted sex offenders who are being supervised in the community will be made to undertake regular checks under the new scheme. They will be asked if they are sticking to the conditions that govern their release, such as staying away from schools and leisure centres, and will have changes in their heart rate, levels of [...]
SAFARI newsletter published
August 5, 2008 from
The August edition of the SAFARI Newsletter has just been published. In this edition:- Hampshire teenager’s name cleared after five year nightmare; Parole awarded to SAFARI reader despite Probation recommending against it because of the lack of ˜offence-related work” Erin Casson convicted for making false rape allegation False accuser Jenna Lindsay’s 60-day prison sentence reduced [...]
Canadian man wrongly jailed for murder at 14 gets £3.2m
July 11, 2008 from
The youngest Canadian to face execution is to receive C$6.5m (£3.2m) in compensation nearly five decades after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a school friend. Steven Truscott was sentenced to hang in 1959, when he was 14 years old, after being convicted of killing 12-year-old Lynne Harper. He was cleared by [...]
Compensation – they do it differently in Canada
July 10, 2008 from
Wrongfully convicted people who received compensation $10-million David Milgaard: convicted in 1969, at the age of 16, in the murder of Saskatoon nursing aide Gail Miller. Spent 23 years in prison before his conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1992. DNA evidence helped catch Ms. Miller’s real killer, Larry Fisher, who was convicted [...]
Audit Commission
March 5, 2008 from
According to a report by BBC the National Audit Office has criticised the Prison Service for delays in providing the necesaary reports to the Parole Board so that they can make proper assessments of whether or not parole should be granted. The BBC report states that:-The Parole Board has come under fire for being too cautious after figures [...]
Parole Board’s relationship With government diminishes its independence
February 7, 2008 from
Judgement in the Court of Appeal Published February 5, 2008 Regina (Brooke and Another) v Parole Board and Another; Regina (O’Connell) v Same Regina (Murphy) v Same Before Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Lord Chief Justice, Lord Justice Dyson and Lord Justice Toulson Judgment February 1, 2008 The Parole Board’s relationship with the executive was [...]
Teacher given leave to appeal – released from prison
January 2, 2008 from
Art master Matthew George who was jailed for 10 year for allegedly abusing pupils at Kerelaw is back home after being given leave to appeal his conviction for torturing pupils at a residential school. Three judges gave him leave to make an appeal, based on the conduct of the police investigation and the credibility of [...]
Prisoners wrongly held in prison following failure to meet parole deadlines
June 11, 2007 from
According to a report in the Times (4th June) Hundreds of offenders are being wrongly held in jail because the Prison Service is failing to meet the deadline for their early release on parole. As a result they may be able to claim tens of thousands of pounds in compensation after a landmark Court of [...]
Prisoners can claim thousands of pound’s over delays to parole
June 5, 2007 from
According to report in today’s Times by Richard Ford prisoners‘ can claim thousands of pounds’ over delays to parole. As a result they may be able to claim tens of thousands of pounds in compensation after a landmark Court of Appeal judgment. It held that their human rights were breached because they were kept in prison [...]
Parliamentary Question
June 2, 2006 from
Claire Curtis-Thomas asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how decisions for parole are reached for individuals convicted of sex offences who maintain their innocence and do not participate in the Sex Offender Treatment Programme; and if he will make a statement. Gerry Sutcliffe (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office) replied Parole Board decisions on [...]
SAFARI
April 18, 2006 from
The April issue of the SAFARI newsletter is now available. In this issue: Fife Police under investigation; A reminder about Terry McCarthy’s Parole Board report for the innocent (note: this can be downloaded from the SAFARI web site); Dr Shan Biswas – information wanted; anonymity for the accused; David Murphy & Patrick O’Toole have their convictions [...]
Parliamentary Questions – comparative crime rates
March 13, 2006 from
Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby, Lab) asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time taken to achieve parole was by those who (a) participated and (b) did not participate in the Sex Offender Treatment Programme in the last period for which figures are available. Fiona Mactaggart (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office) replied The [...]
No Justice for the Exonerated [USA]
January 17, 2006 from
By Mary Shaw You’re walking down the street, peacefully minding your own business. Suddenly, a stranger points to you and says, “He did it.” Police officers frisk you, knock you around a bit, handcuff you, and throw you in jail. They tell you that an eyewitness has identified you as the perpetrator of a rape. [...]
SAFARI – November Edition Out
October 30, 2005 from
The November edition of SAFARI is now outIn this edition read about Dr Quentin Wynn Spender reprimanded by General Medical Council; clarification of the new parole / release system; review of the role of expert witnesses in trials; daughter admits false allegation 16 years on; IEP Scheme & courses; and more!
Howard League of Penal Reform Says Parole Boards Failure to Acknowledge Wrongful Imprisonment
July 19, 2005 from
Early guilty pleas may earn discounts on jail terms
September 21, 2004 from Leave a Comment
In a move that will bring hoirror to all those who maintain their innocence and have been wrongly accused the Sentencing Commission chaired by Lord Woolfe have recommended that early guilty please might attract a discount. A report in todays Guardian states:”Defendants facing murder charges will be encouraged to plead guilty early to cut a [...]
When the detector lies: why polygraph use will be restricted
May 29, 2004 from Leave a Comment
Developed from an idea by William Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman, the polygraph has long been a feature of Hollywood films, detective novels and more recently daytime talk shows. But serious questions have been raised about the use of lie detectors when it comes to the criminal justice system. Those involved in the Home [...]