Right before the Berejiklian government closed down parliament
until mid-September due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it
passed a law that allows for the early release of
prison inmates on parole based on a number of factors including
offence, age, health and vulnerability.
Although,
there are questions as to whether these provisions apply to
prisoners on remand, who make up a third of NSW's over
13,000 inmates. Indeed, some of these remandees will go on to
be found innocent.
As he was introducing the
emergency powers bill, attorney general Mark Speakman made
clear that this law was one that the state government hopes it
"will never have to use" – which hardly screams
early release.
