Parole

All prisoners are released on parole into the community under the supervision of community corrections.

The Parole Board will set conditions to ensure the safety of the community and victims of crime, and to reduce the risk of offending.

There are eight standard conditions of a parole order.

The parolee must:

• not commit another offence during the period of the order
• be supervised and obey directions by a probation and parole officer
• report to the probation and parole officer and be available for interview
• not leave the Northern Territory (NT) without permission from the probation and parole officer
• go to work if agreed with the probation and parole officer, and tell the officer if they intend to change their employment
• live at an arranged address and tell the probation and parole officer if they intend to move
• not associate with another person if specified by a probation and parole officer
• stay away from a place or area if specified by a probation and parole officer.

Additional conditions can also be set. These may include:

• not drinking or buying alcohol
• providing a breath or urine test
• living in a specific community or outstation
• going to treatment or counselling
• not taking illicit drugs or misusing prescription drugs
• not contacting a victim or other specified person
• being given a curfew
• being supervised with electronic monitoring
• no contact with children.

Electronic monitoring

Offenders may be fitted with a small device on their ankle while on parole. The device tracks their location and reports back to their probation and parole officer.

It may also be used if the offender is not allowed to go near certain places, such as a park, school or house of a friend.

Moving or travelling on parole

If a parolee wants to travel or relocate they must talk to their probation and parole officer first.

There is an agreed process for considering interstate travel and transfers.

The probation and parole officer and authorities in the new state or territory will consider:

• whether the parolee has obeyed their conditions
• risk of reoffending
• victim or community safety concerns
• whether the parolee will need to report more often
• more surveillance or breath and urine testing.

Permits

They may be granted either:

• a supervised travel permit – for high risk offender or longer trips and requires approval of the destination state or territory where the parolee wishes to travel
• or an unsupervised travel permit – requires discussion but not approval of the destination state or territory.

Travel permits may take up to one month to process.

Transferring parole

If a parolee wishes to move interstate, they must discuss a transfer with their probation and parole officer. An application will be submitted to the state or territory they wish to move to. The receiving state or territory may add extra conditions.

If the transfer is approved, they must obey the laws and regulations of that state or territory, which may be very different to the NT.