Tasmania is cracking down on criminals who commit offences while on parole.
The government has closed a loophole in outdated laws that allowed offenders to serve out a new non-parole period before being sentenced for their latest crimes.
This quirk in the system was out of line with community expectations, according to Attorney-General Elise Archer.
The new legislation ensures non-parole periods begin after a sentence is handed down, as is the community’s expectation.
The Corrections Amendment Bill 2022, which passed in the Legislative Council, responds to a decision of the Supreme Court of Tasmania.
The reform makes sure a non-parole period means exactly that, with no room for interpretation or exploitation.
“This important legislation closes a loophole that potentially allows people who offend while on parole to start serving a new non-parole period before they even committed the crime,” Ms Archer said in a statement.
The new laws mean Tasmanian criminals who commit offences while on parole will spend more time behind bars.
The previous laws allowed offenders to receive new non-parole periods that could expire before they were sentenced for their latest crimes.
This meant they could have completed their new non-parole period before being sentenced.
