Heather was eligible for parole, but she died in custody

The Consequences of Victoria's Parole Laws and Argument for Reform

Victoria's parole laws have come under scrutiny due to the death of an indigenous woman named Ms. Calgarit, who had been eligible for release for a year but was rejected due to a lack of suitable accommodation outside of prison. Parole is meant to help offenders transition back to the community after serving a significant portion of their sentence, with the goal of reducing reoffending and improving community safety. However, reforms in Victoria about a decade ago made it more difficult to access parole, leading to a sharp increase in the prison population. Ms. Calgarit's family is seeking answers and pushing for her parole denial to be included in the criminal inquest into her death. The secretive and opaque nature of Victoria's parole system, which is exempt from the rules of natural justice, has raised concerns about transparency and fairness.