Peceli Naviticoko 
Parvesh Sharma.
The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission is calling on Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga to appoint a parole board.
Chair Parvesh Sharma says the call comes in light of queries from prisoners and their relatives about the appointment of a parole board and how they could make applications to the board for early release.
He says that once a prisoner has served the non-parole sentence, he or she should be entitled to apply for parole.
Sharma says this encourages prisoners to address their offence and its causes and to rehabilitate themselves to live in society without being a risk to the community.
He adds that despite the parole board having been established by law passed by Parliament, it has not been constituted and operationalized.
The Chair says the Parole Board would make risk assessments on whether prisoners should be released to complete the remainder of their sentences in the community, subject to parole conditions.
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