What it does
The Sentence Administration Act 2003 (the Act) provides the detailed machinery for administering sentences of imprisonment and community-based orders once imposed by a court under the Sentencing Act 1995. At its core, it governs the mechanics of sentence service (Part 2 Division 2), early release pathways (Parts 3–5), post-sentence oversight (Part 5A), community corrections (Parts 6–7), departmental staffing and information handling (Part 8), and the operations of the Prisoners Review Board (Part 9).
Section 3 expressly requires the Act to be read with the Sentencing Act 1995, importing definitions via section 4(1) and calculations via section 5. Key operational provisions include section 6 (when a term begins, subject to exceptions for cumulative terms under section 6(2) and appeals under section 9), section 7 (order of service of fixed terms, distinguishing non-parole periods from balances under sections 94 and 95A of the Sentencing Act 1995), and section 8 (effect of escape or absence from custody, adding one-third of the absence period).
The Act establishes multiple early release mechanisms. Parole is the primary route: for parole terms, the Board must consider release before the eligibility date under section 93(1) of the Sentencing Act 1995 (section 20(1)), guided by release considerations in section 5A and reports under section 17. For short terms under six months (Division 4), section 23 mandates parole unless the prisoner is a prescribed prisoner linked to serious offences (defined by reference to Schedule 2). Life and indefinite sentences require Governor approval on Board recommendation (sections 25 and 27), with parole periods limited to 6 months–5 years. Re-entry release orders (RROs) under Part 4 allow supervised release in the final months for non-parole fixed terms after 12 months' custody (section 50), subject to Board assessment of community safety (section 52(3)).