- Crisafulli Government is delivering major reforms to Queensland's parole system to put victims first and strengthen community safety.
- Changes could keep Queensland's most violent and dangerous criminals behind bars for up to 10 additional years.
- Independent review into Parole Board released today exposes shocking system failures under former Labor Government.
- Crisafulli Government accepts 31 recommendations from review that strengthen community safety and prioritise victims' rights.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering major reforms to Queensland's parole system to put victims first and strengthen community safety, after significant failures under the former Labor Government caused dangerous prisoners to be released into the community on parole.
Restricted prisoner laws will be expanded to apply to all prisoners serving a life sentence, meaning dangerous offenders who commit the most heinous crimes, including murder, could remain behind bars for up to 10 more years.
Currently, the Parole Board is only allowed to apply restricted prisoner laws to child killers and murderers who kill more than one person.
An independent review of the Parole Board confirms Labor's parole system put the rights of criminals ahead of the safety of the community, and victims were not supported or appropriately considered during the parole process.
The review highlights the need for improved decision-making and stronger engagement with victims in the parole process to ensure the Board has the information it needs to determine whether a prisoner should be released on parole.
The Crisafulli Government has supported, or supported in principle, 31 of the review's 46 recommendations where community safety and the rights of victims are prioritised, including:
Legislative changes to ensure community safety is the paramount consideration when deciding if an offender should be granted parole.
Victim submissions must be considered by the Board during all stages of a parole application and the time to provide a response is extended.
Victims are to be notified when parole is granted and information sharing between a victim and the Parole Board is improved.
Parole Board decisions can be published if they are in the public interest
Improved transparency and governance of the Parole Board.
Where recommendations do not prioritise community safety and the rights of victims, they are not supported.
The Parole Board was severely mismanaged under Labor's two failed former Corrective Services Ministers, which resulted in decisions that let killers walk free, and a President referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission.
Despite three reviews, Labor failed to fix the parole system, oversaw a critical backlog of parole applications that put community safety at risk and left the Board operating at half capacity.
Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support and Minister for Corrective Services Laura Gerber said the Crisafulli Government was delivering critical reforms for parole decisions to better reflect community expectations.
"These changes mean the most dangerous, violent offenders, like murderers, rapists, and paedophiles who commit the most heinous crimes could remain behind bars for up to 10 more years," Minister Gerber said.
"Under Labor's broken parole system, the rights of prisoners and offenders were put ahead of the safety of victims and the community – but we are turning the tables with important reforms.
"The Parole Board must be empowered to deliver decisions in line with community expectations that also make Queensland safer.
"The Crisafulli Government has already restored stability to the Parole Board by appointing a new President, increasing the number of Board members, and strengthening laws to safeguard the community."
"Now, we are delivering more critical reforms that make Queensland safer, restore confidence in the parole system and ensure the rights of victims are put first."
