TNAG-0216-FCO40-252-Detainees-and-prisoners-convicted-for-offences-during-the-di-1970 — Page 122

CONFIDENTIAL

Application of Review Procedure to Confrontation Prisoners

7. In order to secure the release from China last year of

Mr. Grey, the Governor put forward the idea of using the

Prisons Board of Review as a ploy to engineer the earlier

release of a number of confrontation prisoners. Under

normal procedures the Board was not entitled under Rule 69A

to review the case of any prisoner over 21 at the date of

offence unless he had been sentenced to more than six years.

However, in the exercise of his discretion, the Governor

gave instructions to the Board that it should review the

sentences of all prisoners serving sentences of four years

or more. This ploy was successful; a number of confronta-

tion prisoners were released and the release of Mr. Grey

quickly followed,

8.

Having completed their review of the sentences of all

confrontation prisoners serving more than four years, the

Board has no power to undertake any further review of any

sentences for another two years (one year in the case of

any prisoners under 21 when the offence was committed)

unless the Governor once again instructs them to do so.

The initiative for further action does not therefore rest

with the Board.

Further Use of Review Procedure

9. The sentences of all the 35 prisoners due for relcase

this year must have already been remitted to some extent

subject to good behaviour, otherwise these prisoners, having

been sentenced to four years or more, would not be due for

release until 1971 at the earliest. If, therefore, the

/release

CONFIDENTIAL