South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa has issued a new Parliamentary Survey to over 30,000 households this week, across 15 villages and settlements, asking residents for their views on Parole Board reform.
This comes as double child-rapist and murderer Colin Pitchfork is now set to face yet another fresh parole hearing after challenging the December 2023 decision to keep him behind bars, Pitchfork's request was considered and granted by a reconsideration member of the Parole Board it was announced this week.
Many constituents in South Leicestershire have paid close attention to the Parole Board's decision-making process, taking a particular interest in the Board's decision to release double child-rapist and murderer Colin Pitchfork in June 2023. This decision was reversed in December 2023 following the request Alberto Costa MP made to the Government that it apply to the Parole Board to reconsider the original decision under a process known as the Reconsideration Mechanism Rule.
The Parole Board’s role is to assess the risk prisoners might pose to the public and decide if they can be safely released from prison. Unlike a court of law, its processes are not usually open to the public.
Alberto has said he intends to introduce a bill in Parliament calling on the Government to make the Parole Board much more transparent and perhaps even become a proper court or tribunal.
Alberto's office plan to use the results of this survey to better inform his position on these plans, allowing him to make stronger representations in the House of Commons and to the relevant Secretary of State, on behalf of the people of South Leicestershire.
Mr Costa has targeted the survey in Enderby, Narborough, Littlethorpe and villages surrounding the area where Colin Pitchfork's heinous crimes are still very much in the collective memory. The deadline for constituents to return the Parole Board Reform Survey is March 15th 2024.
There are various survey drop-boxes located in the targeted villages for residents to drop-off their completed surveys, with Mr Costa also providing updates on his Facebook page on available return locations.
Alberto Said Said "Many of my South Leicestershire constituents have a unique perspective on the Parole Board and its workings, having paid close attention for many years now to its decision-making around Colin Pitchfork, who the Parole Board have now twice agreed to release.
"The Parole Board is currently very opaque in how it operates, and I am pleased to be launching this Parliamentary Survey to understand how this matter is felt among residents who have had to bear the brunt of a growing number of unusual Parole Board decisions.”
He added "I very much hope that constituents will take a few moments to complete and return my survey, so I am well-informed of their views as I push for reform in Parliament.”
