Law students conduct pioneering parole workshops for prisoners, aimed at reducing reoffending and easing overcrowding
Law students from the University of Hertfordshire’s Law School (HLS) have conducted a unique initiative aimed at helping prisoners to understand the parole system.
Two groups of four undergraduate and postgraduate law students have carried out three first-of-their-kind workshops with expert oversight from academics and the support of a prison solicitor (Ms Harjit Chana, from Wells Burcome Solicitors).
The three workshops helped prisoners understand the parole process and take part in a mock oral hearing to understand the role of the parole board when making the all-important decision.
The law students were granted access to HMP The Mount, in Hemel Hempstead, to conduct the workshops, where they engaged with 20 male prisoners.
The idea builds on education classes that Herts’ students have been doing with 40 prisoners over the previous year, aimed at reducing re-offending and assisting with domestic problems such as debt and disclosure of convictions to assist with finding employment upon release.
The idea for a focus on parole came from the prison itself when it realised that prisoners didn’t have a good understanding of how the parole system works.
Zaherah Saghir, Senior Lecturer at Hertfordshire Law School, said:
“The purpose of these exercises is to support rehabilitation by improving the life chances of prisoners once they are released.
“Most prisoners have little knowledge of the parole process despite spending years in prison. There are more than an average proportion of prisoners with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, so they need extra guidance with completing forms and understanding their parole dossier.
“Prisoners need to see parole from the other side so they can begin to understand the role of the parole board.”
The three-part series began with Herts’ students providing an overview of the parole process followed by a workshop on advocacy skills.
The prisoners then worked on a fictional case involving a prisoner eligible for parole. They drafted written representations on his behalf and concluded the workshops with a mock oral hearing.
For the hearing, each prisoner was assigned a role, either that of a parole board member, a probation officer or legal representative. Those on the panel drafted questions, while others used their advocacy skills to address those challenging and hard-hitting questions.
“This exercise has been a significant eye-opener for the prisoners, all of whom expressed that they now feel better informed about the parole process and more confident in demonstrating the positive changes they have made while in custody, to the parole board.
“The work we are doing here has the capacity to extend into more rehabilitative partnerships aimed at generating positive prospects for prisoners who are successfully paroled.”
Second-year Herts’ law student, Austin Lutwyche, from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, said the engagement with prisoners had been valuable for the students.
“The project has helped me to understand the life of prisoners and the process they undertake to get parole.
“This has led me to develop my public speaking skills which allow me to make any adjustments while I am working with the inmates. I have also been able to improve my group work.”
Austin added that his experience even be career defining.
“After working with the inmates, I feel I would be happy with a career in working to help society and get involved with the parole process.
“There is a strong possibility after hearing my own feedback that I can do very well in this field. I am also looking at becoming a barrister and using the skills from the prison project to help with trial advocacy.”
Feedback from prisoners themselves has been really positive, with the University receiving comments such as: “I have learnt what to expect once I go for parole and I now have a better understanding, thank you”; 'I really enjoyed having conversations that put me at ease and I benefitted from being challenged in how I put questions and answers,' and, “I feel more relaxed about my parole board now. I have had the chance to talk about and ask questions relating to the parole board. This has been done in a comfortable, relaxed way”.
Parole has undergone some significant changes since a Government review in 2022. Parole hearings may now be heard in public and victims of crime who are part of the Victim Contact Scheme can apply to the Parole Board to attend hearings. (Those successful will be able to observe remotely so they do not have to sit with the perpetrator.)
Hertfordshire Law School’s Head of Law and Professional Legal Education, Thomas Dunk, said:
"The cost of re-offending to the UK is estimated at around £23.6 billion per year.
“If a scheme like this can sensibly assist with the rehabilitation process alongside all the transparency measures the Government has introduced, it could form a small part of the effort to ease the overcrowding of our prisons and reduce re-offending, which is the centre of Government ambitions.
“What it gives the students at Herts is an unprecedented exposure to real-life scenarios that informs their work-related learning and boosts their chances of employment.
“That is one reason our Law courses are rising in the independent rankings and why we are independently regarded as first for social policy across the East of England.1
The first phase of the initiative was highly commended at the recent Attorney General’s Pro Bono Awards on 23rd April. This places the University of Hertfordshire firmly among the leaders in student-led legal support, showcasing its students' commitment to justice and the University's focus on applied, socially conscious education.
The University is also known for its pioneering work on pregnant women in prisons conducted by Professor Laura Abbott and alumni from the University are setting up the first ever national network of prison pharmacists to help raise awareness of the need to recruit in this field. It is also working with specialist education firm Coracle on an AI assistant that will tailor courses to the learning styles of individual inmates.
Find out more about studying law at Herts
1The Complete University Guide 2025 ranks Herts first in the East of England for social policy.