Work arising from detention and custodial sentences in England and Wales, dealing with sentence calculation, adjudications under the Prison Rules, categorisation and transfers, segregation, healthcare and mental-health needs in custody, parole and release on licence, recall to custody, and complaints about prison treatment. Solicitors draft representations to governors and the Parole Board, apply for habeas corpus or judicial review in the High Court, prepare dossiers for parole and lifer reviews, challenge segregation or unlawful detention, and advance complaints to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. Proceedings are governed by the Prison Rules, parole procedures and licence conditions.
What a solicitor handles in these matters
A solicitor navigates formal custody frameworks: the Prison Rules and adjudication process, Parole Board hearings and guidance, licence conditions and recall procedures, categorisation and HDC/temporary release mechanisms, and the interface with offender managers and NHS commissioning for in‑custody healthcare. Each strand requires precise procedural documents, evidential disclosure and interaction with HMPPS, the Parole Board and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman to operate within statutory and policy thresholds.
