Parole Board Decision

In the matter of the Corrections Act 1997

and

In the matter of an Application for Parole by DCC

14 December 2005

Reason for Decision

You were sentenced on the 8 December 2004 with maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person under the age of 17. These offences occurred from when you were aged 19 to when you were aged 27. You are now 51 so the offences occurred many years ago.

We have considered all the factors that we are required to consider under the Corrections Act 1997. We have considered whether or not you are likely to be rehabilitated back into the community and also whether or not you are likely to be a danger to the public.

We have considered the comments of the sentencing judge, Evans J, on the 8 December 2004. He noted that the events occurred over twenty years ago and he also said that you had no prior offences.

We have noted that you are ineligible to be admitted into the Sexual Offenders Treatment program as the risk of re-offending was too low to be included in that course. That gives us confidence that you are not likely to commit offences of a like nature.

Similarly we have read the report of Chris Williams, a psychologist, of the 7 September 2005 in which he confirms that you have a low risk of re-offending and he states that you have no psychiatric or personality disorder.

Finally we have read the pre-parole report of the 11 November 2005. We note that you have a number of workplace qualifications and that your chances of rehabilitation into the workforce are high.

We have noted your comments about your qualifications and your training and your ambitions for the future. We believe that your ambitions are not unrealistic and that you will have the opportunity of being rehabilitated back into the workforce.

We note that there are no alcohol or drug problems.

We note that your time in prison has been used usefully. In fact you are an exemplary prisoner in that you have taken every opportunity to benefit other prisoners whilst you have been here and also to benefit yourself. You have been a useful member of the prison system. Certainly it is to your credit that you have been trouble free and helped others whilst you have been here.

Finally we have read the letter from your partner.

All things considered and taking into account the matters we are obliged to take into account we are going to grant you parole from the 2 January 2006.

Now read your conditions of parole very carefully. There will be conditions regarding contact with underage children which we normally put into this sort of order, read the non-molestation provisions carefully.

There is just one extra thing I wanted to add: there was some reference to you travelling interstate. Anytime that you travel interstate whilst you are on parole you should seek permission from your parole officer and of course if you go interstate without seeking permission it will be in breach of your parole.