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Legal Corner

Legal Q&A – Is It Mandatory to Do Courses at Minimum Level Security to Get Parole?

By

John

John writes from Lindisfarne, Tasmania.

Ethan Cassidy

To About Time,

‍

Is it mandatory to be at minimum security to get parole? A lot of courses are only offered when at minimum and then courses can take six months to complete. I am currently appealing my sentence, but that means I cannot move to a lower security rating. Would I be forced to drop my appeal just to get to minimum security? Is this fair? My parole is due November 12 but I can’t see how I can get it.

This
article
was originally printed in the
July 2025
edition of About Time.
By Prisoner Legal Service Queensland
By Prisoner Legal Service Queensland

Generally, debts can be put into two categories. First, there are private debts (e.g. from a bank, a landlord, a car dealer, or ‘Afterpay’). Second, there are debts owed to the State (e.g. unpaid fines).

‍

ISSUE NO. 20
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2 MIN READ
By Dan Vansetten
By Dan Vansetten

The concern for those who are subjected to government decisions is that they often do not get to see the integrity of the information which was considered by the decision-maker and don’t get to check if it’s correct.

ISSUE NO. 20
•
3 MIN READ
By Prisoners’ Legal Service
By Prisoners’ Legal Service

Your security classification impacts which prison you are placed in and the level of security that is imposed on you.

ISSUE NO. 16
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2 MIN READ
By Daniel Vansetten
By Daniel Vansetten

In law, silence is considered a fundamental right that provides fairness in criminal proceedings.

ISSUE NO. 9
•
5 MIN READ
By Prisoners’ Legal Service QLD

If you have been the victim of a crime, you may be able to apply for financial assistance through a government-run victim compensation scheme.

ISSUE NO. 27
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3 MIN READ
By Anthony Burke

The law, like other professions, has its own language. It helps keep all the lawyers huddled around some special stuff and keep the rest of us outside.

ISSUE NO. 26
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4 MIN READ
Prisoners’ Legal Service QLD

On 1 April 2026, the Australian Parliament passed new laws which will change the way Commonwealth parole works.

ISSUE NO. 25
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3 MIN READ
By About Time

People in prison can apply to transfer from a prison in one state or territory to another, generally for welfare reasons to be closer to family, community supports, or rehabilitation opportunities.

ISSUE NO. 24
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4 MIN READ
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