How to apply for parole

To apply for parole, you need to complete a ‘Parole Application Form’. This should be given to you by a case worker when you become eligible to apply for parole, or you can request one.

Important: if you need help, your case worker should help you fill in your form.

The Parole Application Form is one page long. You will need to give information like:

• Your name
• Date of birth
• Where you are going to live while you are on parole
• The names of anyone you will be living with on parole

Can a lawyer help me with my parole application?

A lawyer is not allowed to represent you in your parole application or appear before the Adult Parole Board. However, some private lawyers will help people in prison with preparing their parole application and documents to give to the Board. This means the person is not just relying on the information and documents given by Corrections.

This type of help from a lawyer is for a fee and is usually expensive.

What if I don’t have somewhere suitable to live while I’m on parole?

The Adult Parole Board has said it won’t consider applications for parole unless the person has ‘suitable and stable accommodation’. This is a common reason why parole applications are refused.

If you do have somewhere to live, Community Corrections will look into who is living at the address and whether they have a criminal history or intervention orders in place. Depending on this information, the Board might find the accommodation to be unsuitable.

If you don’t have somewhere to live, it’s unlikely the Adult Parole Board will let you stay in crisis or emergency accommodation like a motel or rooming house.

If you don’t have stable and suitable housing for parole, and there are housing services available at your prison, it’s a good idea to start working with them on getting housing as early as possible.

What happens after I hand in my parole application form?

After you hand in your Parole Application Form, the prison’s Case Management Review Committee (CMRC) will book in a meeting with you to talk about your application, your progress in prison and the requirements of parole.

The CMRC will write a report which says whether you are a low, medium or high risk of re-offending in the community. They will give this report to the Adult Parole Board.

This meeting with the CMRC is very important and can impact your chances of getting parole. It’s a good idea to prepare and think about what you want to say before the meeting. You can prepare by using the types of questions the CMRC might ask, like:

• What choices did you make when you committed the offence that led to your imprisonment?
• What other paths could you have taken to avoid committing the offence?
• Who did you harm when you committed the offence?
• Was there a direct victim?
• What about the indirect victims (other people who were affected by the offence) and the broader community?
• How has your offending affected your family and the people close to you?
• What can you do to ensure that you avoid ending up in similar situations and make better choices in the future? (This is a good time to mention any programs, education or training you have done in prison).

After the meeting, the CMRC will prepare the report and send it to the Adult Parole Board with your Parole Application Form.

Important: If you are classified as a Serious Violent Offender or a Sex Offender, the CMRC will complete a second report to give to the Adult Parole Board. This report will include information about:

• Any violent behaviour in prison
• Any involvement you had in drug use while in prison
• Your attitude to employment, education and/or rehabilitation in prison
• Your response to directions from prison staff

Source: Adult Parole Board website, Adult Parole Board ‘Parole Manual’