Public faith in Vic parole board rattled THE Victorian public's faith in the parole board has been thrown into doubt after parolees have gone on to commit serious crimes, including murder, the board head says. Adult Parole Board of Victoria chairperson Justice Elizabeth Curtain says the board's work is always difficult and the successful completion of parole can't be guaranteed. "During the past reporting year, regrettably, very serious offences have been committed by parolees," Justice Curtain says in the board's 2012/13 annual report tabled in parliament on Wednesday. This has led to the public's confidence in the workings of the board being called into question. Her comments follow a scathing review of the parole system, prompted by a series of high-profile murders committed by offenders on parole, including the case of Adrian Ernest Bayley. He was on parole when he raped and murdered Melbourne woman Jill Meagher last year. Former board chairperson Justice Simon Whelan says in the report that parole offers the ability to supervise or restrict the behaviour of prisoners. He says the board must consider whether the risk of someone offending again will be higher if they are released without that supervision and support at the end of their full jail term. Justice Whelan says it will be "unfortunate" if government reforms of the parole system weaken it. He says parole board members have had "extraordinary" demands placed on them in recent times. "Their task requires them to judge complexities and risks far beyond those reasonably to be expected of anyone," he says. The issue of resources will obviously be a very significant one in the decision the government must now take. In the past year, the number of orders to release offenders on parole went up 11 per cent. The number of cases where parole was denied rose 43 per cent.