Victims of crime – make a submission and have your say

Victims of crime, including the direct victim or anyone who has been impacted by the crime (for example, bereaved family members or friends of the direct victim), can make a written submission to the Adult Parole Board (the Board).

You can have your say about the crime’s impact on you and suggest parole conditions for the Board to consider.

The Board carefully considers all victim correspondence and submissions. All are treated as private and confidential. They are only read by Board members and staff. Prisoners do not have access to victim correspondence or submissions.

The Board also receives information from other sources, including parole reports by Community Correctional Services, to inform its decisions. The Board considers all this information together and its paramount consideration is the safety and protection of the community.

How to make a victim submission

Registered victims

As a registered victim, the Victims Register will:

  • inform you when you can make a submission
  • advise you how to make a submission (including how to write it)
  • submit your submission to the Board on your behalf  
  • answer any questions you may have about making a submission.

The Board is independent and does not manage the Victims Register. For information on how to apply for the Victims Register, visit victimsofcrime.vic.gov.au (link opens in a new window).

Victims of crime who are not registered

If you either choose not to register with Victims Register or are not eligible to register, you can still make a written submission for the Board to consider.

You can either email your submission to apb.enquiries@justice.vic.gov.au or mail a letter to the Board. For more information, see contact us

The Board may seek your permission to forward your submission to the Victims Register for the Victims Register to contact you directly to discuss whether you are eligible to register.

What to include in a victim submission

The information below will assist non-registered victims to make a submission. The information may also be beneficial for registered victims, but please note that Victims Register will work with registered victims and advise them how to make a submission. 

For help on what to include or how to write a submission:

  • registered victims can contact the Victims Register
  • non-registered victims can contact the Board.  

In your submission, explain how the crime has impacted you and how you feel about the prisoner being potentially released on parole.

If you are opposed to the prisoner being released on parole, the Board will take your view into consideration. However, the Board must also consider all other factors and decide whether a supported and supervised transition from prison is more in the community’s interest than straight release at the end of the prisoner’s sentence. The Board’s paramount consideration is the safety and protection of the community.

For more information, see the purpose and benefits of parole.

You can also suggest parole conditions for the Board to consider. For example: 

  • You may wish for the prisoner to not have any contact with you. Therefore, the Board may prohibit the prisoner from contacting you on parole.
  • You may be concerned about unintentionally running into the prisoner. Therefore, the Board may prohibit the prisoner from entering suburbs where you work and live and make the prisoner wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. 

Prisoner are monitored and supervised by Community Correctional Services. If a prisoner’s risk to themselves or others is escalating, the Board has the power to immediately cancel a prisoner’s parole and return them to custody.