NCJ Number
119112
Date Published
1988
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Parole in its modern form in Australia rests on the concepts expressed in a 1951 report by A.R. Whatmore to the Victorian government and has been generally accepted while changing in some details over the years.
Abstract
Whatmore expressed the principle that the courts should establish both the minimum and maximum time to be incarcerated and that parole represents an essential period of guidance as prisoners make the difficult readjustment to life in the community. The adoption of this approach in most Australian jurisdictions has resulted in much less criticism of parole in Australia than in the United States. In addition, at Whatmore's recommendation a Supreme Court judge was made the head of the Parole Board in Australia, increasing the public confidence in the Board's release decisions. Individual States have made changes in their parole systems over the years, and various commissions have recommended further changes. The Australian Law Reform Commission has not yet delivered its final report on sentencing, but it will probably be less critical of parole than was the interim report and will probably recommend appeal and representation guidelines similar to those in effect in New South Wales. Thus, parole has a future in Australia, provided that its benefits are recognized and the pure "just-deserts" approach is avoided.