Standard and special conditions

Standard conditions

Standard conditions are imposed on all sentences and orders managed by Corrections. The New Zealand Parole Board can also impose special conditions as part of parole.

Standard conditions apply to all offenders and can include:

  • reporting regularly to community probation
  • restrictions on living and working arrangements
  • restrictions on associating with certain people
  • limitations on the offender's ability to move to a new residential address.

If needed an offender’s probation officer may have the authority to tell them:

  • not to reside at a specified address
  • not to engage in specified employment
  • not to associate with a specified person, persons or class of persons
  • to take part in needs assessments.

Length of standard conditions

In general, standard conditions will apply for the length of a sentence or order.

For offenders subject to parole, standard conditions can be imposed in two ways depending on whether the imprisonment had a specific end or not:

  • For a sentence of imprisonment that has a specific end date, standard conditions can be imposed for a period of at least six months but no longer than six months past the offenders statutory release date (the end of the offender’s term of imprisonment).
  • For a prison sentence of indeterminate term (for example life imprisonment) or preventive detention, standard conditions exist for the rest of the offender’s life.

Special conditions

Along with standard conditions, the courts and the New Zealand Parole Board may also impose special conditions for all sentences and orders - except for community work and imprisonment.

These conditions are designed to reduce the risk of re-offending by the offender, help the rehabilitation and/or reintegration of the offender and provide for reasonable concerns from the offender’s victim.

Special conditions are imposed on an offender to:

  • restrict an offender to a specific residential address
  • attend an assessment and complete various rehabilitation programmes
  • make sure they don’t associate with specified person/s or groups of persons
  • take prescription medicine
  • prohibit entering or remaining in specified places or areas
  • impose electronic monitoring to restrict an offender’s movements for a specific period of time
  • help ensure they do not use alcohol or drugs.

For home detention and intensive supervision sentences, a judge can also call for a judicial monitoring report. The report is completed within three months of sentencing and is completed by the supervision probation officer. The report gives the judge a progress update and can also provide recommendations for the judge to consider.

Length of special conditions

Special conditions may only be imposed for as long as the standard conditions that apply to the offender.

More information on these conditions is on the New Zealand Parole Board website.