The New Zealand Parole Board is an independent statutory body established in 2002 that considers offenders for early release or parole from prison. The Board's task "is to undertake an assessment of the risk that long-term sentenced offenders might pose to the safety of the community if they were to be released before the end of their sentence".
The Board reviews all prisoners serving sentences of more than two years (defined in the Corrections Act as 'long term') – after the prisoner has served one third of their sentence. However in certain cases, the sentencing judge may designate a longer minimum non-parole period. Short-term prisoners (on sentences of less than two years) are not required to appear before the Parole Board; they are automatically released after serving half their sentence. In other words, an offender sentenced to 18 months in prison will be released after nine months.
For long term prisoners released by the Board, the Board also sets release conditions, such as a requirement to live at a specific address, or not to consume alcohol or drugs. Once the conditions have been set, it becomes the responsibility of Community Corrections to manage the offender for the period of time the conditions apply. If an offender breaches any of his or her conditions when released before the end of their sentence, Corrections may apply to the Board for them to be recalled to prison to complete their full sentence.
History
As a British colony, New Zealand adopted the penal system common in Britain and the country’s first jails were established in the 1840s. At that time, prisoners were crammed together regardless of their age, gender, mental health problems or crimes. Conditions were harsh and based on the concepts of retribution and deterrence rather than rehabilitation.Early prisons 1840–1879, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand When the country was divided into provinces in 1853, the administration of prisons was controlled by provincial governments.Provincial control, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand In 1876 the provinces were abolished and the colonial government established a standardised national prison system.Developing a national prison system, 1880–1949 The Encyclopedia of New Zealand At this time in New Zealand's history, there was no concept of parole or early release.
In 1881 an authoritarian army officer, Colonel Arthur Hume, was appointed as the first Inspector-General of prisons (and later Commissioner of Police). He started a major prison-building programme and advocated for the introduction of the Habitual Criminals Act passed in 1906 "for the indeterminate detention of incorrigible offenders". He also introduced an early version of parole whereby prisoners were given credit for good behaviour and hard work that could lead to earlier release.Changing the prison system, Tony Taylor, 2011 p 24 Managing released prisoners required a form of probation service. An early version of the New Zealand Probation Service was introduced in 1886.Blameless Babes, Dame Sian Elias, Shirley Smith Address, 9 July 2009, Victoria University Law review, 2009 (40) p591.
Hume retired in 1909, allowing Minister of Justice Sir John Findlay to introduce a more rehabilitative approach to the treatment of prisoners. The next year, the Crimes Amendment Act established Prison Boards which determined the length of prison sentences. If the local board considered a prisoner to be "reformed" they could be released on probation, although the board could also keep "habitual criminals" in jail indefinitely. But meaningful change was slow. In 1928, H.G. Mason, who eventually became the Minister of Justice, said in parliament that it was the function of the prisons "to imprison, to flog, to hang, not to care for a man in any other way".New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, 1928, 217, 689–690 quoted in Changing the prison system by Tony Taylor, p 26
Public awareness of the need for prison reform grew stronger in the 1940s, but little changed until John Robson and Sam Barnett headed up the Department of Justice in the 1950s and 1960s. They engaged psychologists in the treatment of prisoners for the first time, introduced release on work parole for inmates near the end of their sentences,Prison reform, 1909–24, New Zealand's prisons The Encyclopedia of New Zealand and in the process, "rejuvenated the Prison Parole Board".Changing the prison system, Tony Taylor, 2011 p 28 Today the Corrections Department continues to use psychologists to write reports on prisoners appearing for parole and to assess their risk of re-offending.Risk of re-Conviction X Risk of re-Imprisonment model (RoC*RoI) Corrections Department website
During this time prisons and parole were still administered by 17 District Prison Boards and the National Parole Board.History and Structure, NZ Parole Board
In the 1990s a number of high-profile violent crimes led, once again, to calls for longer prison sentences and a more punitive approach. In 2002 the Parole Act was passed, setting up today's Parole Board. In the same year, the Sentencing Act 2002 introduced longer prison sentences for many crimes as well as stricter conditions for those facing parole.New Zealand’s prisons The Encyclopedia of New Zealand In 2009, chief justice Dame Sian Elias noted that during her tenure there had been a substantial shift in the focus of criminal justice, placing emphasis on the victims of crime.
Notable members Retired High Court Judge Jan-Marie Doogue is the current Chairperson of the New Zealand Parole Board, beginning from 15 July 2025. She has more than four decades of experience in the legal profession, including a distinguished judicial career in both the District and High Courts. New chair for Parole Board, LawNews, 26 May 2025
+ Chairpersons Name PortraitTerm of office 1 Justice Tony Ellis CNZM 2002 2005 2 Judge Sir David Carruthers KNZM 2005 2012 3 Justice Warwick Gendall CNZM 2012 2018 4 Justice Sir Ron Young KNZM 2018 2025 5 Justice Jan-Marie Doogue KNZM 2025 Incumbent
Other members have included Dame June Jackson, in 1991–2019, and Marion Frater, deputy chair since 2007.
Function The Board's role in the criminal justice system is to undertake an assessment of the risk that long-term sentenced offenders might pose to the safety of the community if they were to be released before the end of their sentence. "Long term" means prisoners given a sentence of two years or more. Prisoners on sentences of less than two years are automatically released after serving half their sentence and are not required to appear before the Parole Board at all.FAQ , NZ Parole Board
When considering whether or not to release a prisoner before the end of their sentence, the Board is bound by Section 7 of the Parole Act, which states, "When making decisions about, or in any way relating to, the release of an offender, the paramount consideration for the Board in every case is the safety of the community."Section 7 of the Parole Act More specifically the Board is required to assess whether an offender poses an "undue risk", which includes consideration of "the likelihood of further offending" as well as "the nature and seriousness of any likely subsequent offending".Parole Act 2002, NZ Legislation
Eligibility
Under the Sentencing Act 2002, long-term prisoners become eligible to attend their first parole hearing after serving one third of their sentence – unless they were given a longer minimum non-parole period by the sentencing judge.
However, the board has become increasingly cautious since the convicted murderer Graeme Burton was released on parole in 2006 and went on to commit a second murder. The board conducted a review of its decision to release Burton, leading to a much more structured approach to its decision-making for prisoners from then on.Review of New Zealand Parole Board decision on 28 June 2006 to release Graeme William Burton on parole, RJ Johnson & Prof JRP Ogloff
As a result, the Board now seldom considers the release of any prisoner until they have successfully completed a rehabilitation programme that addresses the lifestyle factors that contributed to their offending. The limited availability of rehabilitation programmes in prison (despite an increase in the last few years)Minister jeered at new drug treatment centre, Stuff 24 June 2010 means there are long waiting lists and very few prisoners even start a programme until they have completed at least one third of their sentence. Even if a programme is available, the Corrections Department is reluctant to let prisoners start one until they have completed two thirds of their sentence.The 66% Rule, Ombudsmen’s Investigation of the Department of Corrections In Relation to the Detention and Treatment of Prisoners, p 49-52
This has a significant impact on the number of prisoners released on parole. In 2013, the Board held 6093 parole hearings and released only 1462 prisoners – 24% of the total, the lowest percentage since 2006.Annual Report 2013, NZ Parole Board p 11.
Eligibility when sentenced to life Until 2008, for those sentenced to life in prison in New Zealand, the "standard" minimum non-parole period was 10 years. In 2002, the Sentencing Act allowed judges to set increasingly lengthy non-parole periods and required a minimum non-parole period of at least 17 years if aggravating factors were involved. This is evident in the 30-year non-parole period given to William Bell, who murdered three people at the Mt Wellington-Panmure RSA. This is currently the second longest non-parole period handed down, the longest being Brenton Tarrant, who was handed a life sentence without parole after murdering 51 people in a terrorism attack in March 2019.
Those sentenced to life in prison may still be released on parole eventually. But the sentence is still 'life' and there is no guarantee they will ever get out. Former Board chairman Sir David Carruthers says that murderers and those given indefinite sentences will remain behind bars until they are no longer considered a risk to the community. If they are released, they remain subject to release conditions for the rest of their life and can be recalled if they break their conditions in any way.
Parole conditions Having served the minimum non-parole period of their sentence, if the Board feels that an offender no longer poses an undue risk, it may agree to their release but sets conditions which are then monitored by Community Corrections. The offender remains on parole until the end of their sentence and may be recalled to prison for breaching any of the conditions.Recall NZ Parole Board FAQ
The Board also sets release conditions for offenders who have served their entire sentence; they are not on parole once they are released. These conditions last for six months beyond the sentence end date.Standard and special conditions, Department of Corrections If an offender breaches those conditions after completing his sentence, they cannot be recalled by the Board, but can be charged for the breach by the police or Community Corrections. It is then up to the district court to impose a new sentence – which, depending on the seriousness of the breach, may or may not be a prison term.
In 2013, 322 prisoners were recalled.Annual Report 2013, NZ Parole Board, p 12.
Home detention