Ministry of Health and Social Development
Government of the Virgin Islands
Voronica's House of Commerce
Long Bush, Tortola
Virgin Islands (British) VG 1110
The supervised release of a prisoner before the completion of his or her sentence.
Process
Step 1: Parole eligibility dates for the upcoming year will be communicated to the Board in December of each calendar year. Persons up for parole will be informed of their parole eligibility and the date of the hearing. Applicants who wish to apply for parole may do so at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the hearing.
Step 2: All applications are submitted to the attention of the Chairman of the Virgin Islands Parole Board via the Superintendent.
Step 3: Once the applications are received, the Secretary under the direction of the Board will request the relevant reports from various agencies.
Step 4: The information collected will be compiled into a dossier document for distribution to the Members of the Parole Board, the Governor, the Minister of Health and Social Development and the Parolee.
Step 5: A pre-hearing will be held two weeks prior to the hearing date.
Step 6: The Hearing will be held and the recommendations will be made by the Board and submitted to the Governor.
Step 7: The Governor will review the records presented to him, consult with the Minister for Health and Social Development and make a final decision on each application.
Step 8: The Governor's decision will be sent to the Board and the Board will inform the applicants of their approval or denial for parole.
Supporting Documents
An application may be accompanied by any document that offers support to the application process on behalf of the parolee such as a letter from a member of their family or legal representative.
Additional Notes
Eligibility for Parole
- Every prisoner serving a sentence of imprisonment for a period of at least four years, except for a prisoner sentenced to imprisonment for life, is eligible to be considered for parole for the first time if that prisoner:
a) ​has served at least one-half of his or her sentence of imprisonment; and
b) has completed an approved counselling or rehabilitation programme where applicable - For the purposes of subsection (1) (a), where the prisoner was under the age of eighteen years on the date when the sentence which he or she is serving was passed, the sentence of imprisonment shall be computed by substituting six months for twelve months.
- A judge upon sentencing a person to imprisonment for life, shall state whether such person may be eligible to be considered for parole and, if a person is found to be so eligible, state a minimum period of imprisonment that such person shall serve before being considered for parole for the first time.
- A prisoner who is not released on licence after a parole hearing is eligible for reconsideration for parole twelve months after the date of the last hearing if the remaining part of his or her sentence is more than twelve months.
- For the purpose of determining the length of that part of the sentence which a prisoner has served, any period spent in custody before conviction; between conviction and sentence; and pending the determination of an appeal against conviction or sentence, shall be taken into account as if he or she had served that period as part of the sentence, unless the court otherwise directs.
Department Contact Information
Ministry of Health and Social Development
Business Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Email Address: ministryofhealth@gov.vg
| Telephone: | 1(284) 468-2272 / 2174 |