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Jo C.
Jo C., Barrister
Category: Law
Satisfied Customers: 71159
Experience:  Over 5 years in practice
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My future son-in-law is serving a life sentence .

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my future son-in-law is serving a life sentence for murder. He was sentenced in June 2007 but had been on remand awaiting trial since November 2006. He was given a tariff of 15 years. He has been in a category c prison since October 2013 and has been lead to believe ,by his solicitor,that he will be moved to a category d prison within the next 12 months. He has had one visit from his solicitor in the past 19 months and was told he wouldn't need a phsycologists report before getting moved to a category d prison, however as he has now run out of legal aid his solicitors are not responding to his requests to know where he stands. I do not want him getting his hopes up as everything I have found online suggests he has no hope of parole until at least 3 years before the end of his tariff which will be October 2018. Can you advise please.
Jo C.
Hi.
Thank you for your question. My name is ***** ***** I will try to help with this.
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Customer: replied 2 years ago.

I would like to know if there is any hope of him getting parole, moving to category d prison/day release/home leave before the 3 years before the end of his tariff as he has been lead to believe, by his solicitor, it will happen in the next 12 months. His tariff was for 15 years which will be up in October 2021. I don't see how he can get parole before October 2018 I don't want him building his hopes up just to be let down. He has completed every course available to him in Prison and has been told by his personal officer there is nothing mor he can do but sit and ride out his remaining time. He is 35 years old.

It is possible that he could be moved to a category D prison. That is at the discretion of the prison governor.
If he is moved to category D then there is a chance of day release but there is no realistic chance of home leave I'm afraid.
On the face of it, you are absolutely correct. His tariff does not expire until 2021 and parole cannot be granted any earlier than three years before that date. The whole issue with tariffs and life sentences have thrown up a large number of human rights issues so the law is always changing but that is not something you can rely upon clearly.
Can I clarify anything for you?
Jo
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Customer: replied 2 years ago.

Am I right in thinking he would be considered for home leave only once parole has been granted?
Yes, he would.
Once parole is granted lots of options open up.
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