Northern Ireland criminal justice minister David Hanson is expected to reveal policy changes today on protecting the public from violent rapists and paedophiles.
A report carried out following the Attracta Harron murder case urged the introduction of a parole board system that is operated in England and Wales.
Criminal Justice Inspectors who assessed the management of high-risk predators found a key problem was the eligibility for release of Trevor Hamilton, the 65-year-old mother-of-five's killer.
Just months after his release, having served half of a seven-year rape sentence, Hamilton (24) abducted the retired librarian as she walked home from Mass in December 2003 and bludgeoned her to death with an axe. He buried her naked body near his home in Sion Mills, Co Tyrone.
Kit Chivers, the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice, said: "Had there been provision for parole arrangements to manage the sentence, a board would certainly have thought twice about whether Hamilton was fit to be released back into the community.
"But that option was not available." He added: "We recommend that the government should bring forward legislation that would have the effect of ending automatic 50 per cent remission for dangerous offenders, create more scope for indeterminate sentences and generally place Northern Ireland on a similar footing to England and Wales.
His interim report on the internal reviews by the police, probation and prison services, following Ms Harron's murder, drew praise from the victim's husband. Mr Hanson, who called in Mr Chivers's team, said he was aware of the demand. "I have been listening carefully to what the public has had to say on the present practice of 50 per cent remission and the need for greater public protection from violent and sexual offenders," he added.
"I will be making a major policy announcement tomorrow on this and other sentencing issues which will respond fully to the concerns that have been raised."
The Criminal Justice Inspectors also claimed the proper handling of Hamilton after his prison release had not been a high enough priority for the PSNI. "They failed to attend the inter-agency meetings on sex offender management regularly, did not communicate adequately either internally or externally and officers on patrol were not sufficiently alert to the danger he posed in their area," the report said.