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The Board gets information from a range of people when considering each case. Key participants are:

• Department of Corrections staff - Corrections Officers, psychologists and Probation Officers - who are involved with the offender
• the offender
• registered and non-registered victims
• Police involved with the case
• other specialists.

Supporters of victims and offenders can also provide input and any member of the public may make a submission.

Among the comprehensive range of information considered by the Board is:

• information about the offender's offence/s, sentence and any previous offending
• reports from the Department of Corrections about the offender's 'sentence plan' (what they will do to address their offending while they are in prison) and what progress they have made in this
• any special reports such as psychological assessments about the offender's treatment and risk of re-offending
• plans for how release would be managed including any special conditions recommended.

How does the Board make a decision?

The panel of the Board deciding the case considers all the material provided - both written and oral - and weighs it up.

The legislation states that victims' submissions and any restorative justice outcomes are to be given due weight.

The most important consideration for the Board is community safety. By law, the Board must decide that the offender does not pose an undue risk to the safety of the community before he or she can be granted parole. In assessing 'undue risk' the Board must consider both the likelihood of further offending, and the nature and seriousness of any likely offending.