The Parole Plan

In Western Australia, an eligible prisoner is considered for parole by the Prisoners Review Board (the Board). The Board has the power under the Sentence Administration Act 2003 (WA) to grant, defer or refuse parole. It takes into account factors affecting the offender, victims of crime and, most importantly, the safety of the community. Under law, the Board automatically looks at each eligible prisoner’s case ahead of the earliest date at which a prisoner is allowed to be released on parole.

The Board should receive a parole plan from each prisoner.  Prisoners can obtain help with preparing their plan from a Community Corrections Officer or Prison Unit Supervisor.

The parole plan should include:

• residential address where a paroled prisoner will live and the names of others living at the same place
• details of community support
• employment or training details including the name and address of where they will be working or training
• a list of all the education and skills training done in prison such as brick laying, cabinet making, gardening or laundry with copies of certificates attached
• a list of all programs completed during this sentence including voluntary activities, again attaching copies of any certificates
• details of the services they will use to address unmet treatment needs
• any other information they may wish to present.

The parole plan from a prisoner might also be accompanied by a written commitment from a family member, friend or welfare agency that confirms they agree to help the prisoner released into the community to serve the balance of their sentence.

The content of the parole plan is part of the information considered by the Board.

The Board also needs independent information on each eligible prisoner. This information goes into a Parole Review Report, completed by a Prison Officer, and a State Parole Assessment Report completed by Community Corrections Officer. There are two sources of information for these reports, the prison’s data files and the records of Community Corrections Officers.

Other information may be provided in Psychologist or Psychiatrists report or a Treatment Programme Completion report. These reports are sent to the Board along with the parole plan devised by the prisoner.

Prison reports include information about:

• How the prisoner has behaved in prison
• What rehabilitation programs the prisoner has participated in
• The proposed support available to the prisoner in the community such as the prospect of housing and employment
• The availability of any ongoing treatment the prisoner may need to access in the community.

Reports from the Community Corrections Officer provide information on a prisoner’s previous supervision history, incidents, charges, victim issues, health, engagement in treatment programs, proposed accommodation, supports in the community and employment.

Victims of a prisoner’s crime may also provide the Board with a written submission. It should contain their views about the effect the release of the prisoner may have on them personally or the rest of the community.

Last updated: 10-Feb-2020

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