Perrie Lectures 2014 - Making Sense of Life Sentences

The subject for the 2014 Perrie Lectures was Making Sense of Life Sentences.

Speakers were challenged to discuss how we make sense of life sentences in custody and beyond. How can we safely and accurately risk assess for release on temporary licence? How can we successfully manage the growing number of elderly life sentenced prisoners? When is it safe to release? How can life sentenced prisoners be safely managed, supervised and monitored in the community and how can we support life sentenced prisoners to live a productive and law abiding life in the future?

The chair for the day was Rex Bloomstein - Director of ‘Strangeways’ and ‘Lifer, Living with Murder’ and we heard from the following speakers:

Phil Copple - Director of Public Sector Prisons, NOMS

Nicky Padfield - Author of ‘Beyond the Tariff‘ Human Rights and the Release of Life Sentenced Prisoners, Cambridge University

Sir Alan Beith - Chair of the Justice Select Committee

Lucy Gampell OBE - Former director of Action for Prisoners Families, member of the Parole Board and member of Clinks Management Committee