Parole Boards
Parole Boards are independent statutory bodies appointed by the Governor in Council.
Previously named Community Corrections Boards, there are three Parole Boards; the Queensland Parole Board, Southern Queensland Regional Parole Board and Central and Northern Queensland Regional Parole Board.
The Queensland Parole Board makes decisions on parole for serious offenders serving sentences of eight years or more.
The Regional Parole Boards make decisions regarding parole for offenders serving sentences in excess of three years but less than eight years.
The President of the Queensland Parole Board is also the President of the Central and Northern Queensland Regional Parole Board and the Southern Queensland Regional Parole Board.
The Corrective Services Act 2006 introduced the new system that ensures all offenders serve thier entire sentence either in custody or on parole. The sentencing court must set a parole release date for sentences of 3 years or less and not a serious violent offence or sexual offence. An offender commences parole on the release date and will be issued with a parole order with statutory conditions by the Chief Executive’s delegate.
The Parole Boards role is to determine whether eligable offenders are ready for supervised released into the community.
Parole orders may include conditions relating to a number of matters, including employment, accomodation, programs to be undertaken and curfews. However these conditions must be to ensure the offender's good conduct or to stop the offender committing an offence.
Victims of crime who are registered with the Victims Register will be notified when an offender lodges an application for parole and invited to make a written submission to the Parole Board within 21 days.
Parole Boards utilise video conferencing technology as appropriate, which improves safety and security as well as reducing offender transport needs.
Parole Board members are appointed by the Governor in Council for a term of up to three years, and are eligible for reappointment.
Considerations before release
In considering an application for release to a parole order the board holds community safety paramount.
The Board takes a number of factors into account, including:
The nature of the offence
- the offender's past offences and any patterns of offending;
- the possibility of the offender committing further offences;
- whether the offender has previously been granted an order and if so, whether the offender breached any conditions of that order;
- whether the offender has successfully completed programs of rehabilitation;
The institutional conduct of the offender whilst incarcerated
Parole Boards Membership
Membership of parole boards is prescribed by the Corrective Services Act 2006 and must include a president and deputy president, each of whom is either a retired judge or a lawyer who has practiced for at least five years.
Of the other five appointed members, at least one must be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, one must be a doctor or psychologist and at least two must be women. One member is a nominated representative of Queensland Corrective Services.
The required number of members on a regional board is decided by the Minister but must include the president of the Queensland Board, a deputy president and others members with similar qualifications as those on the Queensland Board.
Last Updated: 29 March 2007
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© The State of Queensland (Queensland Corrective Services) 2008.