SST welcomes Parole Amendment Bill

The Sensible Sentencing Trust (SST) is pleased to hear the Parole Amendment Bill has passed its final hearing, so the Parole Board will now have the ability to impose a maximum of an up to 5 year postponement order where they deem there is no opportunity for parole to be granted for the worst offenders, and this will afford some surcease to their victims.

However Leigh Woodman, the SST’s National Victim Advisor has cautioned that the bill will generally only apply to the worst offenders, so the majority of offenders will still be automatically eligible to be seen by the Parole Board annually and indeed in a number of cases, can be seen up to 3 or 4 times a year. We hope the Parole Board look more at pre-screening of offenders with low prospects of meeting parole eligibility as this will reduce unnecessary parole hearings and anxiety for victims.

In the case where an offender waives their right to a parole hearing, we believe the Parole Board should advice the victims of this and postpone the hearing till the offender’s next eligibility date, as it is pointless and cruel to put victims through more stress and anxiety that an unnecessary hearing causes.

Offenders should serve their Judge given sentences with mandatory post-release supervision, but since this is not yet the case, offenders should remember that parole is a privilege; it is not a right and should be treated as such.

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