A Tasmanian man convicted of the brutal 1986 murder of Dean Allie and the rape and torture of Tameka Ridgeway will again be released from prison today.
Jamie John Curtis, 69, has served 36 years of a life sentence, including a non-parole period of 30 years, for the murder, as well as additional time for related offences.
Curtis was first granted parole in 2018, but was back behind bars within weeks for breaching his release conditions by using false identities on dating websites.
A second release in 2021 ended similarly after he violated conditions by using illicit drugs and failing to disclose a new relationship.
Now the parole board has given Jamie Curtis another chance, despite the crimes committed in 1986 being described by then-Chief Justice William Cox in 2002 as amongst the worst imaginable.
In its decision, the Parole Board acknowledged Curtis’s “respectful and polite” behaviour while locked up but highlighted ongoing concerns about his risk factors.
“The Board acknowledges the need to consider carefully all aspects regarding the suitability of the applicant given the extremely serious nature of his offending and the lasting impact on the victim and members of the community affected by his offending,” it read.
“On previous parole orders the applicant has demonstrated poor decision-making and deceptive behaviour based on a need to prioritise his own needs over the conditions of his parole order.”
“Given his diagnosed personality disorder and traits associated with this, risk factors associated with this behaviour continue to exist.”
Curtis’s release is subject to stringent conditions, including electronic monitoring, restrictions on contact with certain individuals ,limitations on his movements and a ban on overnight guests.
