Charles Bronson, one of Britain's longest-serving prisoners, is preparing for his ninth attempt at parole after spending nearly 50 years behind bars. The 73-year-old, who now goes by the name Charles Salvador, has vowed to 'expose' what he claims is his 'unlawful' sentence and treatment by the justice system.
Bronson was first jailed in 1974 for armed robbery and has since accumulated a string of offences, including assaults on prison staff and inmates, as well as 11 hostage-taking incidents. He was handed a discretionary life sentence in 2000 after holding a prison teacher hostage at HMP Hull for 44 hours.
In a written statement, Bronson said: 'I am 23 years over my tariff. I am forever denied progress. I am forever kept in solitary. They won't even take me off Cat A. I have to expose this unlawful sentence and treatment. It's now gone on for far too long it's become a total joke.'
His next Parole Board hearing is expected to be an oral one, allowing witnesses to be questioned directly about his current level of risk. Bronson has unsuccessfully applied for parole eight times previously.
Despite his criminal record, Bronson told Metro that his focus has shifted to art, which he describes as a 'gift of life' helping him discover his 'true self'. He changed his name to Salvador in homage to the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí.
The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on individual prisoners, and the Parole Board was also contacted for comment.
