If you are released on parole, you serve the rest of your sentence in the community under conditions set by the Adult Parole Board. Every order has the same core conditions, and the Board can add others to suit your circumstances. Breaching a condition can lead to your parole being cancelled. This guide explains what the conditions are and how parole is supervised.

Core conditions

Every parole order includes 10 core conditions set by law. You must:

  • not break any law
  • report to your community corrections centre within two clear working days of the order starting
  • tell a community corrections officer about a change of address at least two clear working days before you move
  • tell a community corrections officer about a change of employment within two clear working days
  • be supervised by a community corrections officer
  • report to, and receive visits from, a community corrections officer as directed
  • be available for an interview with a community corrections officer, the Regional Manager or the Board as directed
  • attend a community corrections centre in person when directed in writing
  • not leave Victoria without written permission
  • follow any direction needed to make sure you comply with the order.

Discretionary conditions

The Board can add discretionary conditions to suit your circumstances, such as alcohol abstinence, drug testing, curfews, residential or geographical restrictions, no contact with victims, rehabilitation programs, community work and electronic monitoring. Conditions can be added or removed during parole as your risk changes. Breaching a condition can lead to cancellation.

Changing conditions

The Board can vary your conditions at any time during parole. It may add conditions if your risk increases, or remove them if you have done well on parole for a long period.

The intensive period

The first three months after release are usually set as an intensive period. You are more closely monitored and supported by Community Correctional Services during this time, because it is when the risk of things going wrong, and the need for support, is greatest.

Interviews while on parole

The Board can call you in for an interview while you are on parole, usually when Community Correctional Services has raised concerns about how you are going. After hearing from you, the Board may warn you, change your conditions or, in some cases, cancel your parole.

If you breach a condition

Breaches range from missing an appointment to committing a serious offence, and not every breach leads to cancellation. Your parole officer reports the circumstances to the Board. Where a breach does not point to a serious increase in risk, the Board may warn you or change your conditions, for example by increasing drug testing or changing curfew hours. Persistent breaches can lead to cancellation. See Parole Cancelled in Victoria.

Frequently asked questions

Can I leave Victoria while on parole?

Only with written permission. Leaving Victoria without it is a breach of a core condition.

Will missing one appointment get my parole cancelled?

Not necessarily. The Board looks at whether a breach points to an increased risk to the community. A minor breach may lead to a warning or changed conditions, but repeated breaches can lead to cancellation.

Can my parole conditions be removed?

Yes. The Board can remove conditions if you have done well on parole for a long period, and can add them if your risk increases.

Related guides

About this guide

This guide was written by Angus Cameron & Partners, a Melbourne criminal defence firm. Our principal, Angus Cameron, is an LIV Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law and is listed in Doyle's Guide. We regularly act for people in custody seeking parole, including those whose parole has been cancelled, and we work with experienced barristers on parole submissions. If you or a family member needs help with a parole application, contact us for advice about your situation.