Parole: release date of BBC Two TV show, cast, filming locations, trailer - and how many episodes are there?

Parole is a new true crime documentary featuring dangerous and violent criminals currently serving time for their crimes. Each of the prisoners featured in the documentary is in the process of seeking parole. If they are successful they will be released from prison and return to civilised society.

16,000 prisoners across England and Wales are considered for parole every year, and roughly one quarter of these will have their request granted. For the Parole Board, choosing who is released before serving their full sentence is a hard decision - if the criminals reoffend whilst on parole, it will reflect poorly on the board.

Parole Board member Rob McKeon said: “Every case is focussed on an assessment of risk. I want to be sure that there is sufficient evidence to allow for a full, fair and accurate decision to be made.

“My role is often trying to find out what we don’t know about a particular case, so that every aspect of risk can be explored.  Parole reviews will often go through the entire life of a prisoner, going back to their childhood – if there is something to explore, I will ask the necessary questions, even when topics may be very personal or very difficult to deal with.”

What is Parole about?

Parole is a documentary series which follows several prisoners as they undergo parole hearings and state their case for their release from jail. Among those seeking parole are drug dealers, fraudsters, and murderers, but they all say they have changed their ways.

The series follows the work of parole boards across the country to determine which prisoners truly deserve to be released and do not pose a threat to the public. The prisoners, their victims, and their families are all heavily invested in the parole board’s decision.

Series Producer, Alice Mayhall, said: “These decisions are not taken lightly – they take months of preparation and evidence gathering before the big day of the hearing. Hearings can last a full day or sometimes extend longer.

“For many prisoners it’s the most important day of their sentence, a chance for freedom and a new life. But it’s also an enormously difficult day for victims, as it may mean the offender is released back into the community.”

Who are the criminals featured in Parole?

One of the criminals appearing in the first episode of Parole is Colin Stacey, 54, a murderer with a history of violence towards women who has been in jail for the last 14 years. He believes that he should now be released and says he has learned his lesson since being locked up.

David Coombs, 58, known as the Casanova conman, also features in the series - he is a notorious conman. He had previously been released on licence, but absconded, travelled abroad, and was subsequently rearrested and given an extended sentence.

He was sentenced to four years in prison in 2017 for nine counts of fraud, though he now claims that he has changed his ways. His parole hearing was held last year.

Among the other criminals featured in the series are Simran, a 26-year-old Simran who was caught selling class A drugs and has now served half his sentence, and Matthew, a man who killed a young woman 15 years ago and has converted to Christianity in jail.

Where was Parole filmed?

The documentary series was filmed over the course of a year with Parole Boards from across England & Wales. It features prisoners from notorious jails including Wormwood Scrubs, London.

Is there a trailer for Parole?

Yes there is, and you can watch it right here:

When is Parole on TV?

The first episode of Parole will air on BBC Two on Monday 20 February at 9pm. There are five episodes in the series and they will be released at the same time weekly, Episodes will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer shortly after they are first broadcast.