A group representing the families of murder and manslaughter victims has called on the Government to bring about changes that would mean killers are not eligible for parole until their minimum sentence has been served. Their demand comes as the Irish Penal Reform Trust has said any meaningful reform must see parole decisions removed from political control. “The thing that gets forgotten is the impact on families. At present all parole decisions are signed off by the justice minister of the day, who is presented with case-by-case recommendations by the parole board. Ms Ní Chinnéide said this could mean the final decision-making is susceptible to outside pressures or stories in the media.

Source: Irish Examiner June 10, 2019 03:56 UTC