Charles Bronson could be using his parole bid to gain more freedom inside prison rather than to secure a full release, an insider has claimed. Prison sources say they believe Bronson, also known as Salvador, will likely know he will never be released, as he launches his ninth bid for freedom.
He is set to come before the Parole Board in November for a two-day hearing, where he will plead his case on why his conditions should be lessened. Salvador, one of Britain's longest-serving and most notorious prisoners, will have a full examination for his eligibility for release on November 2 and 3 after spending more than five decades in custody. The now 73-year-old was first jailed in 1974 for armed robbery, but repeated violence, taking hostages and bad behaviour behind bars mean his sentence was extended to life.
Strict rules inside HMP Wakefield
Insiders say he is bound by strict rules inside HMP Wakefield - the Category A lock-up known to be one of the UK's harshest prisons - including being kept in segregation, away from other prisoners and being refused one-to-one visits. And now they say they believe the parole hearing - instead of being a bid for freedom outside the prison walls - will be a bid for freedom inside it.
"Bronson has known nothing but prison for the majority of his life, and not just any normal prison - segregation," they said. "That does something to a person. Long term. There's not a chance in hell he is approved for release given how he has been locked up."
"But the interesting thing here is what is behind the motivation. It is said that Bronson is intelligent, he hates the lock-up as it is, and believe it or not, he wants to see his mum. So the question we are all asking, is what is the game plan here?"
Possible move to open prison or normal wing
At present Bronson has been in solitary confinement 23 hours a day for 37 years on and off, but the parole team could decide to lessen that - by either moving him to an open prison or even onto a normal wing among other prisoners to see how he gets on.
Gurdeep Singh, a solicitor acting for Bronson, said: "Mr Salvador is delighted with the fact he has been progressed to a full hearing but he is under no illusions; this is just the start of the fight for his release." At his hearing in 2023, which was denied, he said: "It's no secret I have had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I'm sick of it. I've had enough of it. I want to go home."
And our insider said: "He is in his 70s now, we are nearing the end part of his life, and definitely that of his mother's. I think this parole bid is not to get out, but to be given some more freedom inside."
History of violence and hostage-taking
Bronson has not been a quiet prisoner. Across more than 50 years behind bars, his rap sheet has been defined by wild, high-profile chaos, from taking hostages to staged rooftop protests. Bronson has confessed to taking 11 hostages over the years, including deputy governor Adrian Wallace in 1994. The unsuspecting victim was held captive by the armed robber for five hours at Hull Prison and beaten so severely he was forced to take five weeks off work.
During a previous parole hearing, Bronson admitted he "couldn't stop taking hostages" during the height of his violent period. "I was battling against the system... it was my way of getting back," Bronson said. "There's nothing better than wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey."
When questioned about Wallace, Bronson conceded he felt no remorse for the incident, which resulted in the former governor suffering from PTSD. "That was 30 years ago and I've moved on from that long ago," Bronson added. "Governor Adrian Wallace was an a***hole, is an a***hole and will die an a***hole."
In 2014, Tottenham fan Bronson also "lost it" when Arsenal clinched the FA Cup and coated himself in butter to assault 12 prison officers. The inmate revealed in a letter to friend Kate Kray – former wife of Ronnie Kray – that he slathered his naked body in Lurpak hoping the greasy substance would make it more difficult for the guards to subdue him. A source at the Yorkshire prison stated at the time: "The staff trying to restrain Charlie could not take him down. He was naked and covered in butter."
The insider continued: "He is definitely notorious and capable of a lot. But has he mellowed with age? There's only one way they're going to find out and I'm not sure they will be willing to risk it all."
