Here are the sickening things parole officers have to ask paedophiles when they want to be released

A member of the parole board has revealed the disgusting questions he has to ask paedophiles when they want to be released from prison.

Since 2012, Rob McKeon has helped decide the fates of more than 5,000 prisoners. One person told him he “liked to strangle people.”

As a member of the Parole Board for England and Wales, it decides or whether prisoners serving sentences for heinous crimes can be safely released.

Among the prisoners to be judged by Mr McKeon are child abusers and sex offenders.

During the parole board hearing, he is forced to ask questions that the public would find particularly embarrassing.

About 0.5% of prisoners released on parole reoffend (stock image)

He recalls having to ask a child abuser in one particular case, “How often does he masturbate in prison, and what does he think about?”

But Mr McKeon said he should put the nature of the offence aside and focus solely on whether they still pose a danger to the public.

He said: ‘I think everyone deserves a chance to show whether they can reform or not. It is not up to me to decide on punishments.’

More than 4,000 prisoners were released last year, while 11,300 prisoners remain in prison.

Of the prisoners McKeon released, only three were charged with serious crimes, while overall about 0.5% of prisoners paroled go on to commit further crimes.

Speaking to the GuardianMcKeon also explained that some cases were simple, such as the man who admitted he “liked to strangle people,” but other cases were much more complex.

When asked about the possibility that a criminal he had freed would reoffend, the former probation officer said he doesn’t lose any sleep over it. He explained, “I want to make sure I know what I think is the right decision.”

McKeon further explained that the purpose of parole is to give people the opportunity to change.

“People do terrible things, but some of those people will never do it again. The point is that we can identify those people,” he said.

“Sometimes I worry that the knee-jerk reaction is, ‘Lock them up and throw away the key.’ There are crimes where life should absolutely mean life, and we see that with life sentences. Others, there is the opportunity to change.”

Last year, Mr McKeon served on the commission for notorious prisoner Charles Salvador, better known as Charles Bronson, whose parole was denied.

Throughout his career, he has dealt with manipulators and liars. He explained how he deals with them: ‘Go where the evidence tells you, because making decisions based on your gut feeling is a terrible way to do things, and you’re going to get it wrong.

“There are two sides to every story and you should always have proof. Don’t just take someone’s word for it.”

More than 4,000 inmates were released from prison last year, while 11,300 remain in jail (stock image)

Parole Board member Rob McKeon said: ‘There are crimes where life should absolutely mean life, and we see that with life sentences. With others there is the opportunity to change’ (stock image)

‘I am not influenced by the front pages of any newspapers, or what politicians say, or what the government’s position is at any given moment, or what the public might be angry about on social media. I make decisions based on risk.’

Earlier this month it was announced that domestic abusers will be released under Labour’s new early release scheme.

The government’s ‘SDS40’ scheme allows prisoners to be automatically released after serving 40 to 45 per cent of their sentence, as ministers attempt to tackle overcrowding in Britain’s prisons.

Among the 1,700 suspects released are a man who told his partner he enjoyed attacking her and another who strangled his partner and broke her jaw, The Times reports.

Under Sir Keir Starmer’s new plan, Connor Shaw will serve just 13 months of his prison sentence after years of mental and physical abuse to his partner.

He was originally sentenced to 32 months in prison after breaking her jaw, choking her and threatening to throw acid in her face.

Another abuser who was released after serving barely half of his prison sentence is Shane Riley.

The then 44-year-old man said he ‘enjoyed’ attacking his partner, punching, kicking and headbutting the victim at her Soham home when she broke off their relationship on June 8, 2020.

He was sentenced to 23 months for causing actual bodily harm, common assault, making threats to kill and criminal damage. He will serve less than nine months.