Parole - what it means and why it matters

3 OCTOBER 2025

It is a structured, supervised part of a person’s sentence. People on parole are required to comply with a broad range conditions and are required to work with a Community Corrections Officers (CCO) to support their reintegration into society. 

People on parole face many challenges and must also comply with the obligations of parole. CCOs expect parolees to work hard to change their behaviour and to adapt to everyday life. It works best when they work together, and those on parole understand that a serious breach of their conditions can result in them being sent back to prison.

“Offenders understand that parole is not a ‘get out of gaol free’ card, but there’s a clear gap in public understanding,” says Ziggy Abedine, Manager at Parramatta Community Corrections.

“Parole is often portrayed by the media as an ‘early release,’ which leads to some confusion.”

So, what is parole?

It doesn’t shorten a sentence. A period of time in the community under supervision is built into the sentence imposed by a court.

Rather than releasing people without support, parole provides a safer transition back into society. Supervision has been shown to help people who leave prison reintegrate into society, which can reduce reoffending and improve community safety.

But how does it happen?

In NSW, when someone is sentenced to prison, the court sets a non-parole period. This is the minimum time they must spend in custody before being considered for parole.

In NSW, parole works two ways:

• Automatic - for sentences under 3 years, release happens at the end of the non-parole period.
• Decision-based - for longer sentences, the State Parole Authority (SPA) decides.

When deciding, the SPA considers community safety, victims’ rights, the intentions of the sentencing court, and the offender's progress in custody.

How does parole work?

When someone is released on parole, they must report to a Community Corrections office and meet with their CCO who will explain their parole conditions, these may include:

• where they can live
• attending programs or treatment
• avoiding certain people, places, drugs, or alcohol.

CCOs organise regular check-ins and may also visit their home.

“Behavioural change conversations can motivate those on parole to lead a pro-social lifestyle in the community,” says one CCO.

“We refer them to programs or external services that help them change their behaviour and build a connection to the community. This reduces their risk of reoffending.”

All parolees must follow standard conditions like staying out of trouble and living lawfully. The SPA can add extra conditions such as drug testing, electronic monitoring, or movement restrictions to protect the community and support victims.

Supervision and support

CCOs play a vital role in supervising and supporting people on parole. Contact could be weekly, fortnightly, or monthly.

“Contact does vary, but if someone needs more support or intervention, I may have contact every day or two or three times a week,” says Senior CCO Lisa Wittrien.

“Interviews in person are preferable, but we can also do phone interviews.”

Other CCOs agree, believing that meeting in person helps build rapport and allows you to read body language.

Check-ins can lead to the most rewarding part of the job, according to Ziggy.

“A check-in involves reviewing compliance with parole conditions, discussing progress with behaviour change, and identifying any support needs. From this, seeing individuals make positive and meaningful changes to their lives is incredibly satisfying.”

Realities of the role

Working in parole supervision isn’t about enforcing rules, it’s about making tough decisions and navigating complex human behaviour.

“I always look at the fact we work to ensure the ongoing safety of the community and sometimes difficult decisions need to be made,” says CCO Robert Cosh.

Despite best efforts, not every parole journey is successful and CCOs must prepare themselves for the frustration and letdown when people reoffend or breach their order and go back into custody.

“It is the most disappointing aspect of the job, when individuals return to gaol,” says Ziggy.

The work is demanding, but also deeply engaging.

“It is such an interesting job because people are so diverse and we get to talk to them on such a deep level,” says Lisa Wittrien. 

Does parole actually work?

Yes it does, and the data backs it up.

The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) studied over 50,000 people released from prison in NSW between 2010 and 2019 to see whether parole supervision made a difference. They found that supervised parolees were 10% less likely to reoffend and 5% less likely to return to prison within a year.

“Parolees largely understand the conditional nature of their liberty, and while we have to learn to deal with a lot of resistance we are there with a plan and we follow up on things, we check in with them and give the support we can,” explains Lisa Wittrien.

“Finishing a parole order is often recognised as an achievement.”