The Sentence Administration Board is established under section 171 of the Crimes (Sentence Administration) Act 2005 which provides the framework for board operations and the legislative power for the board to make decisions. Additionally the Act provides for legislative functions to be implemented in a manner that upholds human rights.

Under the Act:

• release to parole and release on licence and breaches of periodic detention, parole and licence are considered by the Sentence Administration Board;
• there is a statutory requirement for corrections officers to report all breaches of parole, licence and periodic detention to the board;
• the board has the authority in relation to an offender who has breached their parole, licence or periodic detention obligations to:
  • take no further action;
  • issue a warning;
  • give the chief executive directions about the offender’s supervision;
  • change the offender’s periodic detention or parole obligations; or
  • cancel the periodic detention or parole order.
• the board is required to seek victim’s views for all parole and release on licence inquiries.

There are three overarching principles that the board must bear in mind when making its decisions: human rights, the public interest and natural justice.