What is a serious offender?
In NSW, the law defines a Serious Offender as any of the following:
- an offender serving a sentence for life
- an offender convicted of murder
- an offender serving a sentence where they do not become eligible for release until they have spent at least 12 years in custody
- an offender serving a sentence for which a non-parole period has been set in accordance with Schedule 1 to the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999,
- an offender who is, for the time being, required to be managed as a Serious Offender in accordance with a decision of the sentencing court, the Parole Authority, or the Commissioner,
- an offender who belongs to a class of persons prescribed by the regulations to be Serious Offenders for the purposes of this definition.