MORE than 10% of eligible prisoners opted out of seeking parole last

year, new figures showed yesterday.

One reason, the Parole Board for Scotland claims, is the ''fantasy''

in some prisons about the system.

Launching its annual report for 1993 which showed that 155 of the 1433

eligible prisoners opted out, chairman Joseph Scott said prisoners often

believed they would not qualify.

There was ''quite a lot of fantasy'' circulating among prisoners about

who would, or would not, be given parole.

''We try to indicate we deal with prisoners on an individual basis and

not in terms of categories or groups,'' he said.

Figures also showed 465 lifers have been released since the parole

system was introduced in 1968.

During that time 132 had been recalled to custody, including 39 who

had been recalled on more than one occasion although 44 had subsequently

been re-released.

Asked if the board had made mistakes, Mr Scott said there were often

pressures on prisoners outside and their behaviour could regress. For

the sake of the individual and the public they were recalled.

He said it illustrated people were just not released on licence

without any follow-up supervision.

Board vice-chairman Ian McNee said the board tried to ensure mistakes

were not repeated by analysing its judgment first time round.

Asked if more resources should be put into Training for Freedom, the

chairman said the prison service recognised the need for the scheme for

long-term prisoners. ''We would encourage them to develop it even

further,'' he said.