Breaches of Parole

What is a breach of parole?

A breach of parole is when a parolee fails to comply with any of the conditions of their parole order.

What happens if I breach my parole?

Breaches can include failing to report within a specified time frame, failure to obey reasonable directions given by Community Corrections, leaving the State without permission, or committing further offences.

For minor breaches of parole, Community Corrections have legislative power to take the following actions:

• Give a reasonable direction to the offender
• Record the breach and take no action
• Provide an informal warning to the offender
• Provide a formal warning to the offender and advise that any further breaches will be reported to the State Parole Authority 
• Impose a curfew of up to 12 hours in any 24-hour period  

In more serious cases of breaching an order, Community Corrections notifies the SPA of the breaches of parole by submitting Breach Reports.

A Breach Report outlines the breach of parole conditions, the parolee’s response to supervision and Community Corrections recommendation as to what action they suggest should be taken.

What will the SPA do if I breach my parole?

The legislation outlines the action the SPA can take in response to reported breaches of parole.

Depending on the nature of the breach the SPA can: 

• Take no action and note the report
• Stand the matter over usually to follow court results or obtain updated information from Community Corrections
• Issue a formal warning in relation to compliance with the parole order
• Impose additional condition on the parole order 
• Revoke the parole order by issuing a warrant for the offender’s arrest and return to custody
• Impose a period of home detention for up to 30 days, pending an assessment of suitability by Community Corrections.