NSW State Parole Authority

When it comes to keeping communities safe, how we manage offenders matters.

In New South Wales, parole plays a key role in protecting the public - not by letting people off the hook, but by managing their return to the community in a controlled and supervised way.

Let’s be clear: parole is not a reward. It’s not an early release. It’s part of the sentence and it comes with strict conditions.

Eligible offenders who are released on parole must follow a set of tough rules. That includes telling authorities where they live and work, regular drug and alcohol testing, reporting to their parole officer, and in some cases, wearing electronic monitoring devices.

This close supervision makes a difference. It reduces reoffending by keeping people accountable and connecting them to support services like housing, mental health care, drug and alcohol treatment, and job support.

Community Corrections officers are trained to spot the early signs of risky behaviour — and step in before things get worse. And if someone breaks their parole conditions, they can be sent straight back to prison.

We know parole works. People are less likely to reoffend when they know they’re being watched and supported to make better decisions.

Some people do serve their full sentence in prison, but they are released at the end without any ongoing supervision in the community.

They walk out completely free.

Parole offers us another option - a structured and supported transition that continues to hold people accountable and provides added protection for the community.

Parole allows us to manage an offender’s return to the community with structure, oversight, and support. And that makes our communities safer.

Parole isn’t soft. It’s smart. It’s part of the sentence. And when it’s done properly, it’s one of the best tools to reduce reoffending and keep NSW safe.

As a victim of crime, it’s completely normal to feel concerned when you hear an offender may be getting out of jail.

Parole does not reduce a sentence.

It means the offender continues serving their total sentence—but under supervision in the community and with conditions they must obey.

As a Registered Victim you have the right to be heard.

You can send the Authority a written submission about what is important to you.

And in cases involving serious offenders, you may appear at a public court hearing and make a statement in person before any final decision is made.

You have the right to request conditions such as exclusion zones that ban the offender from entering or visiting locations you specify.

Offenders must meet strict conditions, and any breach can return them to custody.

Community safety, your safety, is the Authority’s top priority.

An Intensive Correction Order, or ICO, is a serious sentence that lets someone stay in the community instead of going to prison.

An ICO can be up to 3 years but is only for people who haven’t committed serious crimes like murder, sexual assault, sexual offences against a child, or an act of terrorism.

People on an ICO must follow strict rules—like curfews, community service, or electronic monitoring and they’re supervised by Community Corrections Officers.

If you break the rules, it’s called a breach.

Minor breaches such as missing an appointment or being late for one  may lead to a warning and  even a curfew.

But all serious breaches, such as committing another offence, are reported to the NSW State Parole Authority.

We don’t issue ICOs—but we can cancel them and send you to prison.

If the Parole Authority revokes your ICO, a warrant is issued, and you are arrested and sent to prison.

You cannot get bail. 

After about 4 weeks you will face a hearing before the Parole Authority which will decide whether to reinstate the ICO or not.

ICOs are a second chance—but breaking the rules means going to jail.

When someone commits a serious crime, the community expects them  to serve their full sentence. And they do.

Parole doesn’t shorten a sentence. It’s a safer way to release someone—with rules, tracking, and a plan.

Nearly every inmate is released eventually.

Parole lets us supervise and manage them during that transition from prison back into the community.

If we waited until an inmate’s sentence ended, they’d walk out of prison and be back on the streets with no conditions, no supervision, no support and no plan to manage them.

In other words, without parole they'd just walk out completely free because they've done their time.

Parole helps reduce reoffending, and that means a safer community for everyone.

If your loved one is in custody, you might be wondering what parole really means.

First, parole does not shorten a sentence. It's not a reward or a discount.

If granted, parole means serving the last part of your sentence in the community but under supervision and with conditions.

There are rules to follow—things like regular reporting, drug and alcohol testing, curfews and sometimes electronic monitoring.

It means working with a Community Corrections officer who will give you support and the help you need to get back on track.

If you break the rules while on parole, you can be sent straight back to prison where you'll spend at least 4 weeks in custody, then you'll go back to the Parole Authority which reviews your case to decide whether to grant parole or keep you in prison.

Myths and Facts about Parole in NSW

Parole has an important role in our justice system but it is often misunderstood.

Here, we correct common myths and clarify the facts about how parole works in NSW.

Myth: Parole lets offenders “walk free”

Fact: Offenders on parole are not free. They are still serving their sentence but with rules such as regular reporting, drug and alcohol testing, programs and sometimes electronic monitoring.

Only people found not guilty walk free.

Myth: Parole is “early release”

Fact: Parole is never early release from prison.

Judges set parole dates at the time of sentencing and offenders must serve their minimum time in prison before we can decide on parole.

Myth: Parole is a “reward for good behaviour”

Fact: Parole is not a reward. It is a structured process designed to help offenders reintegrate into society but with support with strict rules including where they live and what they are allowed to do.

Myth: Parole shortens a sentence

Fact: Parole does not reduce a sentence. 

It's simply an order to serve the last part of the sentence in the community with supervision and with conditions.

Myth: Parole is easy to get

Fact: Parole is actually hard to get.

The Authority reviews each case carefully, reading reports from prison experts, the sentencing Judge's remarks, looking at rehab progress, post release plans and the risk to community safety. 

This process takes months.

Myth: Most offenders commit crime on parole

Fact: Some people do reoffend, but most don't. Research consistently shows parole helps reduce serious offending and keeps the community safer. 

Myth: The Parole Authority can keep inmates locked up

Fact: The Authority cannot change a sentence, but it can refuse parole if an offender poses an unacceptable risk to the community.

Myth: The community is safer when offenders serve their full sentence in prison

Fact: Without parole, offenders are released with no-one watching them

Supervised parole helps offenders reintegrate safely and reduces reoffending which is much safer for the community.