Q. Who is responsible for recalling offenders?
The Offender Manager (OM) makes the request. If the request for recall is deemed necessary it will be endorsed by the Senior Probation Officer (SPO) and the Assistant Chief Officer (ACO) in the home area. The SPO and ACO will also oversee the quality and content of the request for recall document. The Secretary of State considers the request for, and type of recall, and rescinds the licence accordingly.
Q. What actually happens to an offender when they are recalled?
Q. What is an emergency recall?
This is where the request for Recall requires the process to be completed within 2 hours as opposed to 24 hrs. This gives 2 hours, therefore, between the receiving of the paperwork and rescinding the Licence. The PPMHG Casework section in Croydon will inform all parties so that the offender can be apprehended quickly. These requests are driven by the imminent risk of harm posed by an offender.
Q. How is a decision to re-release made?
Where the case is high risk of harm but is supported for release by the OM, the case will go to the Parole Board with a note from the Probation Advisory Team. If the Parole Board makes no recommendation to release, the case is considered by the PPMHG Casework section and an Action Plan is drawn up which is shared with the offender/solicitor/prison and the OM. This plan indicates the frequency of reviews for the individual case and the case is considered by the Secretary of State and/or the Parole Board as applicable for the individual case, until release is achieved or SED reached.
Some cases have an automatic review by the Parole Board once a year but may have additional reviews by the Secretary of State in the interim. The determination regarding the process is governed by the legislation under which they were sentenced and if they were recalled pre or post July 14th 2008. Release of any case, either by the Parole Board or the Secretary of State, is governed by risk of harm/imminence and manageability in the community in the light of the respective RMP drawn up.
Q. How does your work fit in with the Parole Board?
The PPMHG Casework section compiles the Dossier and refers cases to the Parole Board for consideration/review as applicable for the individual case. Probation Advisory Team work closely with the Parole Board, writing notes once a case has been worked up for consideration by the Parole Board, ensuring that the case is as well prepared for that consideration as possible in terms of information, RMPs and proposals. The Probation Advisory Team are contacted by Parole Board members when a case is being considered to secure accommodation/programme/treatment availability and dates so that a case can be concluded without adjournment or no recommendation being made wherever possible.
Q. What happens to the MAPPA Risk Management Plan when an offender is recalled?
This is a matter for the recalling area/OM. Where MAPPA is involved, the Secretary of State and the Parole Board are reliant on the OM informing them of this. It is usually the case that the RMP submitted by the OM is informed/supported by MAPPA consideration but the proposals and requests for conditions, etc come from the OM.
Q. Whose responsibility is it to tell the victim?
Where cases fall into the Victim Unit remit, it is the OM that progresses these referrals and shares information which the Victim Unit will in turn share, as appropriate with the victim. The PPMHG Casework section will seek to ensure that OM has time to share information with Victim Units around progression/release etc of an individual case by either Sec of State or Parole Board. Where cases fall outside victim Unit remit, but have a direct victim, it is the OM who ensures protection of that victim in the RMP.
Q. How should the prison work with an offender who was being actively managed as a MAPPA level 2 or 3 and has now been returned to custody?
The prison will record the MAPPA status and keep the OM informed of milestones. A request for clarity regarding MAPPA involvement will be made at appropriate stages in the sentence. Some prisons operate a system that mirrors MAPPA in the community and ensures discussion of cases takes place at pertinent stages and promotes working beyond the gates in terms of risk management. There is an expectation that there would be prison input at any MAPPA meetings in the community during sentence, as appropriate.