Parole and community safety

The paramount consideration for the Board is the safety and protection of the community. 

Many prisoners pose a risk of reoffending following release from prison. No prison or parole system can completely eliminate the risk of reoffending. 

If the Board simply denies parole to a prisoner, there is no risk that the prisoner will reoffend on parole. But this can be at the cost of a greater overall risk of reoffending when the prisoner is released straight back into the community at the end of their sentence without supervision.

The risk of a prisoner reoffending can be mitigated by release on parole. The assigned parole officer can supervise and support a prisoner on parole and the Adult Parole Board can review reports provided to it quickly and, if considered necessary, cancel parole and return the prisoner to prison if the risk of them reoffending is escalating. 

The majority of prisoners released on parole do not reoffend while they are on parole. 
 
It is much easier to identify and count the number of offences that are committed on parole than it is to identify and count the number of offences that are not committed due to the supervision and support provided by the parole system.