About Us
In brief, the Board considers prisoners for release from custody, sets or varies conditions of release and considers applications for the suspension and/or cancellation of orders.
It considers re-entry release orders and makes recommendations about re-socialisation programs for various categories of prisoners.
The Board also sets policies/guidelines for the discharge of its functions, maintains records and provides information about its policies and operations.
The functions of the Board are set out in the Sentence Administration Act 2003 (WA).
Please note that the Board does not conduct accommodation assessments or supervise a prisoner whilst they are subject to a period of parole. This responsibility falls to Adult Community Corrections and all enquiries regarding this process should be referred that service.
Consideration of applications for parole
Pursuant to sections 5A of the Act, the Board must take into account the following factors (called release considerations) when assessing a prisoner's application for parole:
- The chances of a prisoner re-offending if they are released on parole and the level of risk this would pose to the community or any individual in the community.
- The circumstances and the seriousness of the prisoner’s crime and their criminal history.
- Any remarks made by the court at the time of sentencing which relate to the offence and the prisoner’s risk to the safety of the community.
- Issues for any victim of the prisoner if the prisoner is released, including any matters raised in a victim’s submission.
- The prisoner’s behaviour while in custody, showing how they might act on parole, and/or previous behaviour during any community-based order.
- The prisoner’s participation in rehabilitation programs available in custody and, if not, the reasons for not doing so.
- The prisoner’s performance in any programs while in custody.
- The likelihood of a prisoner committing an offence if released on parole.
- The likelihood of a prisoner complying with all their parole conditions.
- Any other considerations that may be relevant to a release on parole.
Pursuant to section 5B of the Act, the Board of any other person performing its functions under this Act must regard the safety of the community as the paramount consideration.
A Community Corrections Officer (CCO) from the Corrective Services division of the Department of Justice (Corrective Services) will prepare a report to the Board, which includes information on a prisoners parole plan such as accommodation options, employment prospects, programmes they will undertake in the community and any recommendations for parole conditions.
As part of their report to the Board, the CCO will undertake an extensive accommodation assessment of where the prisoner proposes to reside once released. This assessment includes information such as who will live at the proposed accommodation, if they approve the prisoner living there, what relationship they have to the prisoner and what their likely influence on the prisoner will be. The CCO may also conduct a visit to the address to confirm the information provided by the prisoner and to conduct an assessment of the residence and residential environment.
As part of considering releasing a prisoner to parole, the Board will consider the proposed parole plan provided by the CCO as well as various other reports presented to it by various stakeholders including the prison other support agencies.
Board members also take note of any communications from victims or the Victim-Offender Mediation Unit.
The Board also considers the matters of prisoners sentenced to life and indefinite terms of imprisonment. In these cases, the Board will prepare a report for the Attorney General, as required by statute, making a recommendation with regards to their release on parole. The Attorney General will then either accept or not accept the Board’s recommendation, before it is progressed to the Governor for approval in Executive Council.
Last updated: 3-Sep-2021
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