Release on Parole: Gambling with Community Safety or Effective Risk Management

Abstract

Parole has been the subject of scrutiny in recent years, both due to offences that are committed by high-profile parolees, and for the perceived leniency that it provides by allowing offenders early release from imprisonment. This paper analyses the operation of parole in New Zealand with reference to the case of Reid v New Zealand Parole Board, together with a review of the Law Commission’s report on sentencing and parole, and the resulting amendment to the Parole Act. It concludes that parole is an effective tool in the criminal justice system, and should certainly be retained.