What is R.O.T.L?
- Prison Help!
- Nov 24, 2015
- 3 min read
The subject of “Release on Temporary Licence” (ROTL) is a complex and detailed one. In a short series of Blogs, we will be talking about ROTL, and describing our own personal experience of ROTL.
This first Blog looks at the different types of ROTL as they are usually found.
Prisons in the UK have a responsibility of working towards the successful release of offenders, with resettlement a key part of the process. For a portion of lower risk prisoners, categorised as “D-Category” (or, in some limited cases “C-Category”), the process of moving towards release involves the gradual re-integration of the offender back into society by his or her “Release on Temporary Licence”.
The release of a prisoner on a strictly limited basis might be to allow him or her to see and meet with family members for up to a day, gradually get used to being at home through “Home leaves”, or attend work where this is made available. The use of ROTL does greatly ease the process of reintegration, and these different types of ROTL, when used appropriately, can support the successful resettlement of prisoners.
The responsibility of setting down rules and requirements for ROTL is the Ministry of Justice, which then implements these through theNational Offender Management Service (“NOMS”). Careful assessments of the offender and their family, home and work circumstances, should be undertaken by NOMS in collaboration with external probation services. A rounded view of the prisoner, the risk they pose of society, themselves, and others, will be developed, and then the local prison Governor will take the decision to permit the prisoner to be released on ROTL. (Importantly, where prison management and operation has been outsourced to a private contractor, the responsibility for the release of prisoners is usually not delegated to the Prison Director for ROTL purposes. Different codes of practice apply in these circumstances, and the new provisions of Transforming Rehabilitation are expected to further change the situation.)
ROTL is applied to prisoners on a case-by-case basis, with careful assessments being made for each individual. The usual provision for the commencement of eligibility for ROTL is that a prisoner needs to have served at least 25% of their sentence as applied by the court. It needs to be remembered that the majority of prisoners are released at the point of completing 50% of their sentence, with the remainder being served in the community on licence from the prison.
The tool of ROTL as a mechanism for resettlement is a very useful one. ROTL needs to have the support of all concerned to be successful. The careful risk assessments which take place protect all concerned, not least being the prisoner themselves. It is for them, in particular, that the risk process needs to operate effectively – failures impact many aspects of society (and there have been some recent high profile cases), but most of all they impact on the prisoner by further depriving him or her of their liberty.
We strongly support ROTL as a mechanism leading to successful resettlement. ROTL helps prisoners in the re-integration process back into society. Prisoners need this to meet the expectations placed on them. For longer-served prisoners, where they might have progressed to the lower risk categorisation of prisoners, the re-introduction into the real world is a vital step in their rehabilitation as an individual.
Prison Help! is owned and operated by UK Social Support and Careers Limited. It is a social enterprise founded in 2015 by Steve Newell, Managing Director.. It has a highly experienced management team that aims to deliver realistic and reliable services to all levels of UK business. Our parent company – UK Social Support & Careers (UKSSAC) – supports all aspects of training, development and ongoing support for people returning to work following unemployment. It is also a one-stop solutions provider to corporate businesses on Corporate Social Responsibility, employee readiness training, workforce development and specialist professional prison consultancy services.
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