by about 1,000, or 9 per cent, between mid-1988 and mid-1989. A slightly greater percentage fall over the same period was evident in Scotland. CCPR/C/58/Add.6 page 31 133. Major reviews have also been undertaken of the present system of remission and parole. A system of parole was first introduced in Great Britain under the Criminal Justice Act 1967 as a means of ensuring the earlier release of prisoners who need not be detained. Prisoners became eligible for release on parole after serving one third of their sentences or 12 months, whichever was the longer, and parole boards were established to consider prisoners' suitability for release and to make recommendations to the Secretary of State accordingly. Criteria included the prospects for an offender's resettlement in the community and the likelihood that he would commit further offences. 134. The parole system does not operate in Northern Ireland, where the high proportion of terrorist-type offenders makes the element of supervision inherent in such a system impossible to apply. Until early 1989, all prison sentences in Northern Ireland attracted 50 per cent remission, but offenders released remained liable to be returned to prison to serve the unexpired portion of their sentence if they were subsequently convicted of further crime (see para. 170 below). In addition, in Northern Ireland there operates a system of unescorted pre-release home leave for prisoners serving sentences of six months or more. 135. Various changes were made in England and Wales in the period which followed the 1967 Act, including in 1983 a reduction in the minimum qualifying period from 12 months to 6, and the introduction of more restrictive criteria for the grant of parole for prisoners serving long sentences for serious offences. Restrictive criteria for the grant of parole for the latter were introduced in Scotland in 1984. 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing changes and reviews of the criminal justice system in the UK, specifically regarding parole and remission policies. It does not mention economic development, natural resources, or environmental issues, which are typically addressed in separate policy areas.

**Category**
Education, Employment, Humanitarian aid and relief