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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Queensland proposes parole changes to keep dangerous criminals jailed longer

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Queensland is proposing changes to parole laws to keep dangerous criminals, including those serving life sentences, behind bars longer.
  • The proposed changes would expand the 'restricted prisoner' legislation to cover all life sentence offenders, not just child killers or those who murdered multiple people.
  • The government states the reforms prioritize victims' rights and community safety, with community safety being the primary consideration for parole decisions.

Queensland is set to strengthen its parole system, potentially extending the time some of the state's most dangerous criminals spend behind bars. Proposed changes to parole laws could delay the release of individuals serving life sentences by up to a decade.

Prisoners that commit some of the most heinous crimes, the most depraved sexual acts, murderers, prisoners like Baden Clay, like Ashley Paul Griffith, prisoners sentenced to life now could be held in prison for up to 10 more years.

· Laura GerberCorrective Services Minister Laura Gerber explaining the impact of the proposed parole law changes.

Currently, the 'restricted prisoner' legislation, which allows for harsher parole eligibility and potential denial of release for up to 10 years, applies only to child killers and those convicted of multiple murders. The state government plans to expand this to all perpetrators serving life sentences. This means notorious offenders like Gerard Baden-Clay, convicted of murdering his wife Allison in 2012, and Ashley Paul Griffith, could face significantly longer prison terms.

We were also handed a life sentence when she was murdered, and we live without her, and we miss her each and every day.

· Vanessa FowlerAllison Baden-Clay's sister and chair of her foundation, Vanessa Fowler, speaking about the impact of the murder on her family.

Corrective Services Minister Laura Gerber emphasized that the reforms are driven by a commitment to victims' rights. "These are significant changes, and they're being made because as a government we are focused on the rights of victims," she stated. Allison Baden-Clay's sister, Vanessa Fowler, who chairs her foundation, spoke of the profound impact on families, describing their loss as a "life sentence" and questioning the adequacy of a 15-year non-parole period for a life sentence.

I think the question is, what is the value of a life? And for us, we believe that 15 years doesn't qualify as a life sentence.

· Vanessa FowlerVanessa Fowler expressing her family's perspective on the length of a life sentence.

The government also accepted or supported in principle 31 of 46 recommendations from an independent review of Queensland's Parole Board. Key changes include notifying victims of parole grants and ensuring their submissions are considered at all stages of an application. Community safety will be the paramount consideration in parole decisions, and the Board's decisions may be published if deemed in the public interest. The review noted a significant number of prisoners are already serving time past their parole eligibility dates.

These changes are about ensuring the human rights of victims are prioritised, for too long victims were left sidelined and secondary.

· Laura GerberCorrective Services Minister Laura Gerber on the government's focus on victims' rights.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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