22 January 2007

Requests by Parolees to Travel Overseas – Approval by State Parole Authority

MEDIA RELEASE

The NSW Parole Authority, in accordance with its legislative obligations,has for the past 20 years been required to consider applications from parolees in the community to travel overseas for compassionate/family or employment purposes etc.

The Authority’s Operating Guidelines preclude approval for overseas travel being granted for recreational or holiday purposes.

The need for a parolee to travel overseas must be thoroughly assessed by the Probation and Parole Service with all details checked and confirmed before the application is forwarded to the State Parole Authority for consideration.

The State Parole Authority, whilst maintaining its judicial discretion, will not generally approve an application to travel overseas unless there is a supporting recommendation from the Probation and Parole Service.

In the 2005 calendar year the State Parole Authority approved 55 parolees to travel overseas. In the 2006 calendar year this figure was 39 parolees. None of the offenders approved to travel overseas in the above years were classified as “Serious Offenders” when they were in custody.

It is relevant to note that statistics obtained from the Department of Corrective Services 2004/2005 Annual Report identify that there were 6779 offenders released to parole in that reporting year. The figure from the 2005/2006 Annual Report was 5110. Accordingly, the number of overseas travel applications approved by the Authority represents less than 1% of parolees who were currently under supervision in the community, in either of these periods.

It is also relevant to note that 80% of parolees successfully completed their parole orders in the 2004/2005 reporting year and this figure rose to 81% in the 2005/2006 reporting year.

There were no breaches of parole related to overseas travel in either period.

The State Parole Authority supports the rehabilitative, humanitarian and case management principles associated with the consideration of overseas travel applications and the continuation of the existing legislative arrangements to allow a parolee, who is successfully adhering to the requirements of his/her parole order, being able to travel overseas in appropriate and approved circumstances.

For further information;

Paul Byrnes

State Parole Authority

Phone: 02 8346 1175.