Kenneth Noyes

[bednobs]

I heard on hte radio this am that the parole board's recommendation that he be moved to an open prison has been rejected. Good. However, it made me think - his crime was one murder nearly 20 years ago - why is he still in prison anyway? don't get me wrong, he definately should be, but since when do people get 20 years + for murder? Don't get me wrong, i absolutely agree murderers shouldget this type of sentence, but they don't seem to usually get that long do they?

[EDDIE51]

If ANY prisoner is in the last few years of a long sentence and they have obeyed the prison 'rules' they have a right to be considered for a move to 'open' conditions. The parole board say which prisoners are eligible for a move but the home office has the final word. I think that to say Noye was 'recommended' for transfer is yet another misinterpretation by the newspapers. It is more that he is now 'eligable for a possible transfer', but that does not evoke the response the paper is aiming at!

[EDDIE51]

Read the link at 12.41
Noye was 'granted a parole hearing' the parole board then 'referred the matter to the secretary of state for a decision'
That is NOT a recommendation! In other words the parole board had to grant a hearing ,they had no choice the law says he must be at least granted a hearing, but they did not make a decision they just referred it to the secretary of state (home office) and the home office made the inevitable refusal .

[EDDIE51]

^^ In a less controversial case the parole board make the decision and the home office 'rubber stamp' it. But in this case the parole board refused to make a decision and sent the case direct to the home office.
So far from recommending his transfer they refused to consider it.
As I said, a nifty bit of 'half truth' from the newspapers.

[Dahlia_Lama]

Noyes should never be released, considered yes ( see Court Case ), but never released.

[EDDIE51]

The appeal board have been clever here.
If they had just refused his move , he would have kept on reapplying and appealing the refusals. But as they have not made a decision he can not appeal or reapply. There is no right to appeal a home office ruling.