WA remains the toughest State in Australia for a sentenced prisoner to be granted parole — and of those who were let out of jail, less than 3 per cent committed another crime while back in the community last year.
As attention refocused on parole eligibility, after revelations Yacqub Khayre launched a deadly terrorist siege in Victoria while on parole, Premier Mark McGowan said WA would co-operate with any push for a national overhaul. Those wanting more stringent criteria for the granting of parole might look to WA’s model, with the most recent figures showing that only one in five of parole applications in WA in 2015-16 were granted.
That compares with just over half of the parole applications in Victoria — including criminals who committed serious violence or sex offences — being granted last year. Figures on crimes committed by paroled WA prisoners in the past financial year showed that of the 1841 people being managed on parole orders, 53 — or 2.9 per cent — had their parole cancelled for reoffending.