Lack of facilities delays releases

Long-term inmates are being kept in prison despite being eligible for parole because there are no facilities on the outside to support them.

Last year three prisoners serving life sentences were denied early release because vital community supports were not available. All three have been in prison for over 17 years.

The Parole Board believed the three prisoners should be recommended to the minister for justice as meeting the criteria for release. However, the recommendations were not made because two of them had serious psychiatric difficulties and one had an intellectual disability.