Charles Bronson releases letter from prison ahead of parole hearing

‘I have to expose this unlawful sentence and treatment,’ he said in a letter

Charles Bronson has vowed to “expose” his “unlawful sentence and treatment” as his plea for release is to be considered at an oral hearing in the coming months.

The 73-year-old – once considered one of Britain’s most violent offenders – could be invited to speak at the meeting after eight failed attempts to seek parole.

“I am 23 years over my tariff. I am forever denied progress. I am forever kept in solitary,” Bronson wrote in a letter to Sky News. “They won't even take me off Cat A."

He added: “I have to expose this unlawful sentence and treatment. It's now gone on for far to long [sic] it’s become a total joke.”

Bronson - who is also known by the surname Salvador after he changed it in tribute to the artist Salvador Dali - has spent most of the last 50 years in prison for a string of violent offences.

Charles Bronson was convicted of his first crime in 1974 at the age of 21 (PA)

They include thefts, firearm crimes and violence, and 11 hostage-taking incidents in nine different sieges.

After 12 years without a violent conviction, it was decided that Bronson’s case would be reconsidered, allowing witnesses and evidence to be assessed to determine his current risk level.

It will then be decided whether he is safe enough to be released into the community.

“My hopes for the hearing are that Mr Salvador can finally have some progression,” his lawyer Gurdeep Singh told the broadcaster.

“He has been languishing in solitary confinement for years now without any future plans for him.

“With the right support in place, there is no reason why he should not be released into the community, allowing Mr Salvador to continue focusing on his charity work with the Born Art Foundation.”

Court artist sketch of Bronson, appearing via video link from HMP Woodhill, during his previous public parole hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London (Elizabeth Cook/PA Archive)

In 2000, Bronson was handed a discretionary life sentence after taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, he has been denied all pleas for parole.

Diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, Bronson – whose birth name was Michael Peterson – was convicted of his first crime in 1974 at the age of 21. He reoffended during two brief periods of freedom and was sent back to prison.

His last appeal for parole was rejected at a public oral hearing in March 2023. He is said to have spent most of his time in prison in solitary confinement, with up to 23 hours a day spent locked in his cell.

He said while he used to find violence “cathartic”, he has since sought solace in his art and practices “deep breathing” to cope with negative feelings, and he now professes to be “anti-crime” and no longer violent.

A date for the hearing has not yet been set.