Can you arrange in-prison assessments anywhere in the estate?

Yes. We arrange legal visits across the closed estate including Cat A and high-secure hospitals, with the appropriate clearances obtained in advance.

Do your reports satisfy the Parole Board's evidential standards?

Yes. The instructed expert is familiar with the Parole Board's expectations on structured professional judgement risk assessment and on the format the Board prefers for psychiatric evidence.

How quickly can a report be delivered?

Standard turnaround is 1–2 weeks from receipt of the bundle and access to the assessee. Urgent reports can be delivered in 2–5 working days where a Crown Court trial date, tribunal listing or interim hearing requires it. We will tell you on day one whether the deadline is realistic.

How are fees calculated?

We agree a fixed fee for the report and any addendum, joint statement work and CMC/court attendance up front. Fees reflect the complexity, the volume of records and the urgency. We will provide a written quote that supports a Legal Aid prior authority application where required.

Can the expert be instructed as a Single Joint Expert?

Yes. The majority of our consultants accept SJE instructions and are experienced in dealing with joint letters of instruction, Part 35 questions from both sides, and joint reports with experts of like discipline.

Is in-person assessment essential?

Most assessments can be conducted by secure video, which keeps costs and timescales down and avoids travel. In-person assessment is arranged where the case calls for it, for example where capacity, malingering, or a child or learning-disabled assessee is involved, and across all the UK regions we cover.

What happens if the report is challenged at court?

The instructed expert remains responsible for the case end-to-end, including responding to Part 35 questions, attending the joint experts' discussion, signing the joint statement, and giving live evidence. There is no handover to a different expert at trial.

Case type

Prison Law

Prison law instructions include Parole Board hearings, hospital transfer assessments under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983, recall reviews, and category and progression decisions. Most require an experienced forensic or general adult psychiatrist with prison estate access.

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Use this category when…

You need to map a court order or letter from counsel to the right report
You're confirming whether a psychiatric expert (rather than a psychologist) is the right discipline
You want a fixed quote and a realistic deadline before instructing

What to send with your enquiry

A short summary plus the items below is enough for us to match an expert and confirm the deadline — you don't need the full bundle to get a quote.

Short case summary and the questions you want answered
Hearing or listing date and jurisdiction
GP and psychiatric records (full set where available)
Witness statements, schedules of loss or threshold documents
Any prior expert reports
Court order granting permission to instruct (family / Court of Protection)

Overview

Prison law instructions are concentrated around Parole Board hearings, hospital transfer assessments and recall reviews. The expert needs prison estate access, an understanding of OASys and the indeterminate sentence regime, and the willingness to conduct assessments inside the wing or visits hall.

We maintain a panel of forensic and general adult psychiatrists with current honorary contracts in secure services or current prison consulting roles, who can provide reports the Parole Board will recognise as authoritative.

Legal framework

Reports follow Parole Board Rules 2019 (as amended) and, where applicable, the Mental Health Act 1983 and Mental Health Act Code of Practice.

Psychiatric issues addressed

Mental disorder and risk in indeterminate-sentence prisoners
Suitability for transfer to hospital
Risk of serious harm and progression
Personality difficulties in custodial settings
Self-harm and suicide risk in custody

Questions you can put to the expert

Drop any of these straight into your letter of instruction.

Does the prisoner suffer from a treatable mental disorder?
Is transfer to hospital under s.47/48 appropriate?
What is the level of risk and how can it be managed?

Prison law: areas we cover

Categorisation and progression

Where a prisoner's progression through the estate has stalled, a psychiatric report can identify any treatable mental disorder, support transfer to therapeutic environments such as PIPEs or DSPDs, and recommend specific interventions.

Hospital transfer (s.47/48 MHA)

Reports address whether the criteria for transfer to hospital under s.47 (sentenced) or s.48 (remanded) of the Mental Health Act 1983 are met, identify a willing receiving unit, and comment on the appropriate level of security.

Parole Board hearings

Reports for Parole Board hearings address current mental state, risk of serious harm, treatment needs and the realistic management of those needs in the community. We are familiar with the post-Osborn oral hearing framework and the Parole Board Rules 2019 (as amended).

Recall and risk reviews

Following recall, we provide focused psychiatric input on the dynamic risk factors that led to the recall behaviour and on the realistic management of those factors going forward.

What's in the report

Part 35 / FPR Part 25 / CrimPR statement of compliance, as applicable
Expert's CV and statement of independence
Detailed list of materials considered (records, statements, scans, prior reports)
Full history, mental state examination and collateral information
Diagnostic formulation referenced to ICD-11 / DSM-5-TR
Reasoned opinion on causation, apportionment, prognosis and treatment
Indicative treatment costings where requested
Statement of truth signed in the prescribed form

How we help

Same-day shortlist of suitable consultants once we receive a brief instruction
Choice of male or female assessor, and of sub-specialty, on every instruction
Fixed fees agreed up front; Legal Aid prior authority figures supported
Standard turnaround 1–2 weeks; urgent reports inside 5 working days where the diary allows
Joint reports, addendum reports, Part 35 questions and CMC attendance handled by the same expert
Remote (secure video) or in-person assessment across the UK

Frequently asked questions

Recommended services

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Tell us about your case and we'll match you to the right consultant, usually within 24 hours.

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