Discretionary Lifer Panels (DLPs) of the Parole Board have been given the responsibility by Parliament to give a direction to the Home Secretary to release a life sentence prisoner only if they are satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that a prisoner should remain confined. This chapter explores the nature of decisions by the Prison Service and those of the DLP that have to be taken before a discretionary life prisoner is released from prison. The research explores and considers how DLP's operate, whether the process is fair, the effectiveness and consistency of the process, the effectiveness of panel members in performing their role, how panels assess risk, the level of user-friendliness of panels, and the extent to which they represent value for money. The research was carried out between March and December of 1999; 52 DLP cases were observed. Decisions made before a prisoner can expect to be released are examined and themes emerging are reflected upon to help explain why the emphasis of the Parole Board seems to lean much more towards the rights of the public to be protected than toward the rights of the prisoner to be released. References